By Stella Odueme
The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has reaffirmed its neutrality ahead of the 2027 general elections, declaring that its allegiance is exclusively to Nigerians and the country's democratic process.
INEC Chairman, Prof. Joash Amupitan, SAN, gave the assurance in Abuja while receiving the ECOWAS Pre-Election Fact-Finding Mission, led by former Sierra Leone Vice-President, Victor Bockarie Foh, at the Commission's national headquarters.
Amupitan stressed that INEC had no preferred candidate or political party, assuring Nigerians and the regional body of the Commission's determination to conduct credible, transparent and peaceful elections.
"INEC under my watch has no candidate and no political party.
"Our sole allegiance is to the rule of law, the sovereign will of the Nigerian electorate, and the democratic progress of our nation," he said.
The INEC chairman also disclosed that Nigeria's National Register of Voters had surpassed 103 million as preparations intensified for the 2027 general elections.
He described the forthcoming polls as a significant milestone in Nigeria's democratic development since the return to civilian rule in 1999, noting that their successful conduct would strengthen democratic stability across West Africa.
Amupitan revealed that the Commission had completed nine of the 14 major statutory milestones outlined in its revised timetable and schedule of activities for the elections.
He said INEC had concluded three phases of the Continuous Voter Registration exercise and completed the physical display of the Preliminary Register of Voters nationwide.
According to him, the Commission was also assessing its operational readiness through zonal tours across the country's six geopolitical zones to identify potential challenges and strengthen its preparations.
He explained that the elections would cover the 36 states and the Federal Capital Territory, involving 774 Local Government Areas, 8,809 Registration Areas and 176,846 polling units.
On electoral technology, the chairman reaffirmed the Commission's commitment to deploying the Bimodal Voter Accreditation System (BVAS) for biometric voter accreditation through fingerprint and facial recognition.
He added that the newly introduced eEC8A electronic verification platform would complement the INEC Result Viewing Portal (IReV) in strengthening electronic result management and verification.
Amupitan further disclosed that INEC was working with relevant security agencies through the Inter-Agency Consultative Committee on Election Security (ICCES) to strengthen security arrangements ahead of the polls.
He called on ECOWAS to deepen its support through the deployment of long-term and short-term election observers, technical assistance and experience-sharing.
He also urged the regional organisation to support efforts to tackle electoral disinformation, improve logistics and promote inclusive voter education.
The chairman emphasised the need for sustained diplomatic engagement with political parties, civil society organisations and other stakeholders to encourage peaceful campaigns and adherence to democratic principles.
In his remarks, Foh said the mission was part of ECOWAS' established practice of assessing electoral preparedness in member states approaching general elections.
He explained that the exercise was being conducted in line with Article 31 of the ECOWAS Protocol on Democracy and Good Governance, Article 53 of the ECOWAS Conflict Prevention Framework and relevant decisions of the Authority of Heads of State and Government.
According to him, the mission would assess the preparedness of electoral stakeholders and identify areas where ECOWAS could provide technical and institutional support.
The delegation said its engagements would extend beyond INEC to include political parties and coalitions, government representatives, civil society organisations, security agencies and other relevant stakeholders.
It noted that the broader consultations were intended to provide a comprehensive understanding of Nigeria's political and institutional environment ahead of the 2027 elections.