The Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Prof. Joash Amupitan, has warned that partisan leaning, administrative negligence and compromised ethics will not be tolerated among staff as preparations intensify for the 2027 general elections.
Amupitan gave the warning on Monday, 28 September 2026, in Kaduna while declaring open the North-West Zonal Interactive Meeting with Staff and Readiness Assessment for the 2027 General Election.
The INEC Chairman told Electoral Officers, Heads of Departments and senior administrative staff from the North-West zone that the Commission would strictly enforce its Code of Conduct.
“Partisan leaning, administrative negligence or compromised ethics will not be tolerated. Every officer must understand that protecting INEC’s institutional integrity is non-negotiable,” he said.
He said the conduct of field staff was central to the credibility of any election, noting that false narratives gained traction when the Commission’s administrative execution faltered.
“When a polling unit opens late, when an officer displays nonchalance or perceived bias, or when technical glitches are met with silence, we inadvertently validate cynics, deepen voter apathy and fuel disinformation,” he said.
According to him, “the conduct, competence and character of our staff in the field are either our strongest defence against fake news or its biggest catalyst.”
Amupitan reminded officials of the oath of loyalty and neutrality required of all electoral officials and security personnel participating in elections under Section 26 of the Electoral Act 2026. He said the oath committed every officer to administering elections without favouring any candidate or political party.
“The question must never be ‘Who will benefit from this decision?’ but always ‘What does the law require me to do?’” he stated.
He cautioned staff against improvisation, saying informal shortcuts were dangerous in election administration. Where the law provides a procedure, whether in the Electoral Act 2026, Regulations and Guidelines for the Conduct of Elections 2026 or guidelines for political parties, he said officers must follow it strictly.
He directed that operational difficulties should be escalated through formal institutional channels.
Amupitan stressed that a good legal framework and modern technology could not alone guarantee electoral credibility.
“The credibility of an election depends on how faithfully the law is implemented by officials entrusted with its administration,” he said.
He described staff as the face of the Commission in their communities.
“To the voter in a local ward, INEC is not the Chairman in Abuja; INEC is you,” he said.
He urged officials to “know the law, understand your responsibility, remain neutral, document your actions”, adding that every administrative decision must withstand public scrutiny and judicial review.
The INEC Chairman said the Kaduna meeting was a continuation of the six-zone Interactive Meetings and Readiness Assessment tour ahead of the 2027 General Election. He said the Commission was breaking with more than two decades of practice in which zonal preparations were coordinated through delegated structures or handled at the level of National Commissioners and headquarters directorates.
“I am here with you in person, accompanied by National Commissioners and Directors, because I firmly believe that the true success of any election is not decided solely in the meeting rooms of our headquarters in Abuja. It is decided in the field,” he said.
He recalled the Commission’s performance in recent off-cycle elections, particularly the Osun Governorship Election, and credited the outcome to the dedication of staff. He cautioned that “praise of yesterday raises expectations of tomorrow”, noting that the 2027 elections would be a simultaneous national exercise across the 36 states and the FCT.
Presidential and National Assembly elections are scheduled for Saturday, 16 January 2027, while Governorship and State Houses of Assembly elections will hold on Saturday, 6 February 2027.
On staff welfare, Amupitan assured participants of the Commission’s commitment to their welfare and security. He said the Commission was at an advanced stage of implementing a new salary and welfare package and that, effective 1 January 2026, it established the Consolidated Election Management Body Salary Structure (CEMBSS), which moved its workforce out of the regular Civil Service structure. He added that, from 1 July 2026, overheads to State Offices were increased by 150 per cent.
He announced that the Commission had commenced the procurement and distribution of new operational pick-up vehicles, which were being dispatched to State Offices and Local Government Areas nationwide to boost mobility, security and operational efficiency.
Earlier, in a welcome address, the Supervising National Commissioner for Kaduna, Mohammed Kudu Haruna, said the Kaduna meeting was the second in the six-zone tour after Lagos and was designed to rally staff to deliver the best election in Nigeria’s history.
Haruna disclosed that the collection of new Permanent Voter Cards (PVCs) would commence early next month, noting that the INEC Chairman informed the Emir of Zazzau during a courtesy visit that the collection of newly printed PVCs would commence as scheduled. He appealed to traditional rulers to encourage eligible citizens to collect their cards and exercise their constitutional right to vote.
The Director of Planning and Monitoring, Helen Ajayi, said the purpose of the zonal exercise was to assess the level of preparedness of states, identify operational challenges before the elections and ensure that staff across the zone remained aligned with the Commission’s Code of Conduct.
Directors and representatives from the Voter Education and Publicity, Voter Registry, ICT, Human Resources, and Election and Operations departments also made presentations on their respective areas.