The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has ruled out any plans to adjust the timetable for the 2027 general elections, insisting that the polls will take place as scheduled.
INEC Chairman, Prof. Joash Amupitan, gave the assurance during an interactive meeting with commission staff from the six South-South states in Port Harcourt, Rivers State. The meeting also focused on assessing the commission’s preparedness for the forthcoming elections.
Amupitan said the electoral body was committed to complying with its statutory schedule and would not make changes without a valid reason.
“Our statutory timeline is fixed. We will not change anything. The election must hold as scheduled,” he stated.
The INEC chairman also announced that the commission would pay particular attention to Rivers State during the elections because it has the highest number of registered voters in the South-South geopolitical zone.
He disclosed that Rivers has 3,736,434 registered voters, followed by Delta with 3,525,988, Edo with 2,865,263, Akwa Ibom with 2,566,198, Cross River with 1,928,978 and Bayelsa with 1,200,691.
According to him, the six states have a combined total of 15,823,550 registered voters.
Amupitan stressed that INEC must ensure that eligible voters are not denied the opportunity to participate in the elections because of logistical or operational shortcomings.
“With the 3,736,434 registered voters for Rivers State, the state leads the South-South. By this, the commission will put more attention to what happens in Rivers State. It is your duty to ensure that no voter is disenfranchised because of operational failures,” he said.
The commission also disclosed that the final voters’ register would be released on December 15, adding that it was working to address outstanding issues before the deadline.
Amupitan revealed that he had considered conducting a revalidation exercise for the voters’ register shortly after assuming office but eventually abandoned the idea because of concerns that the process would be too close to the 2027 elections.
He expressed confidence in INEC’s ability to deliver peaceful, transparent and credible polls, noting that the commission had gained useful experience from recent off-cycle governorship elections, particularly the Osun State election.
“Osun State elections gave us the confidence that we can achieve this despite the noise. It is good that we had a series of those elections before the general elections because we learn lessons from every election,” he said.
The INEC chairman added that the commission was determined to conduct elections that would strengthen the country’s democratic process.
“We will conduct elections that will move the nation forward and not an election that will bring it down,” he stated.
