The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has announced plans to release a revised timetable for the 2027 general election following adjustments necessitated by the enactment of the Electoral Act 2026.
INEC Chairman, Joash Amupitan, disclosed this on Wednesday in Abuja during a meeting with Resident Electoral Commissioners (RECs) and the swearing-in of a new REC representing Abia State, Dr. Chukwu Chukwu-Emeka Joseph.
Amupitan explained that the commission had earlier issued a notice of election under the previous law before the new legislation came into force.
“I must not fail to inform you that we now have a new Electoral Act, 2026. We had on 13th February 2026 issued a Notice of Election before the new act was enacted.
“The notice was issued under the old law. With the introduction of the new Electoral Act, we have to make some adjustments and issue a revised timetable for the 2027 general election,” he said.
Logistics Review After FCT Poll Delays
The INEC chairman revealed that the commission is reviewing its transport logistics model after its Election Operations Dashboard showed that only 45 per cent of polling units opened by 8:30am during the recent Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Area Councils election.
“According to our Election Operations Dashboard, only 45 per cent of polling units in the FCT opened by 8:30am. Although we achieved 100 per cent by 10:00am, the initial delay is unacceptable,” he said.
He disclosed that some staff members in Kuje Area Council and Kabusa Ward in the Abuja Municipal Area Council (AMAC) responsible for logistical lapses had been identified and would be queried. In addition, a transporter linked to delays in Kwali Area Council would be blacklisted.
“In addition, the transporter that caused some delay in Kwali Area Council will be blacklisted. We are still reviewing our transport logistics model for effective performance,” he added.
Despite the delays, Amupitan noted that voting eventually took place in all polling units and the elections were concluded peacefully in the FCT, as well as in state constituency elections in Kano and Rivers states. He commended security agencies for ensuring there was no violence during voting.
However, he acknowledged security breaches at collation centres.
“However, we must admit the ugly incident that occurred in Kuje Area Council, where the Kuje Central Collation Centre was invaded by thugs during collation and also at another collation centre in Kwali Area Council.
“The ugly incident was squarely addressed, and the results were finally collated without much ado. You must continue to strengthen our engagement with security agencies and stakeholders in your state. Elections must be peaceful, not by accident, but by deliberate planning and coordination,” he said.
Clarification on ‘Voter Migration’
Responding to public concerns over alleged “voter migration” in the FCT, the INEC chairman reiterated that no voter was migrated in 2026, explaining that the expansion of polling units occurred in 2022.
Nationwide, he said, over 56,000 additional polling units were created, increasing the total from 119,972 to over 176,000. To populate the new units, about 6.7 million voters were redistributed from approximately 12,000 congested polling units to 17,000 less congested ones.
“In order to populate the newly created units, many of which initially had zero registered voters, about 6.7 million voters were redistributed from approximately 12,000 congested polling units to new 17,000 less congested ones across the country in 2022,” he explained.
In the FCT alone, 411 polling units were decongested and about 580,000 voters were redistributed to 1,156 polling units.
Amupitan said some voters who did not participate in the 2023 general election experienced difficulty locating their reassigned polling units. As a result, the commission directed that fresh text messages be sent to affected voters as reminders.
“This tells us something important. Our policies may be sound. Our intentions may be noble. But if citizens do not understand our processes, then the objective is only half achieved.
“I, therefore, direct all Resident Electoral Commissioners to intensify voter education and sensitisation in your respective states. Voter awareness must not be episodic. It must be continuous,” he said.
Safeguards on Results Transmission
Amupitan also highlighted improvements to INEC’s result management system, noting that the collation stage remains the most vulnerable part of the electoral process.
“We have introduced some safeguards to the BVAS system, which is to curb all manner of manipulation on the results that will be transmitted to IREV,” he said.
He explained that presiding officers are required to capture and upload images of Form EC8A to the IReV portal and enter party scores directly into the BVAS device, which performs internal validation checks.
“The BVAS system performs internal validation checks to ensure: The total votes entered do not exceed the number of accredited voters. The figures entered are mathematically consistent. Over-voting is automatically flagged and cannot be finalised,” he said.
According to him, these measures were tested during the FCT and state constituency elections, with an average of 97 per cent of FCT results uploaded to IReV.
Addressing allegations of result manipulation at Kuroko Health Centre polling unit in Yangoji Ward, Kwali Area Council, Amupitan said the controversy stemmed from a clerical error by a presiding officer.
“After due investigation, it was found that discrepancies in the reported result were due to an error by the Presiding Officer while entering the score of the party,” he said, explaining how a corrected figure was properly reflected in the ward collation form.
No Room for Error
The INEC chairman warned staff against absenteeism and dereliction of duty, stressing that indiscipline would no longer be tolerated.
“Any staff who fails to report for duty, arrives late without justification, or sabotages the process will face sanctions in accordance with the regulations,” he said.
Looking ahead, Amupitan noted that the forthcoming governorship elections in Ekiti and Osun would further test the commission’s readiness, while the 2027 general election would be even more complex.
He emphasised that INEC’s credibility depends on performance.
“Each polling unit that opens late erodes trust, while each staff member who neglects duty diminishes our collective reputation.
“Each transparent upload to IReV, each peaceful polling environment, and each satisfied voter strengthens our democracy,” he said.
Amupitan added that the commission would soon embark on a thorough clean-up of the voters’ register to further strengthen its integrity ahead of the 2027 general election.
