The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has announced plans to deploy about 1.4 million ad hoc personnel across more than 176,000 polling units nationwide for the 2027 General Election as it ramps up preparations for one of Nigeria’s largest electoral exercises.
INEC Chairman, Joash Amupitan, disclosed this on Tuesday in Abuja during a meeting with a Pre-Election Assessment Mission from the International Republican Institute, led by former U.S. Assistant Secretary of State for African Affairs, Ambassador Jendayi Frazier.
Amupitan said lessons from recent off-cycle elections, including the Ekiti and Osun governorship polls and legislative by-elections, served as “live operational stress tests” for INEC’s technology, logistics and security coordination. He noted that the commission is now focusing fully on 2027, with emphasis on voter registration, logistics, accessibility and technology deployment.
The chairman highlighted gains in technology, particularly the Bimodal Voter Accreditation System and the INEC Result Viewing portal. He said real-time uploads of Polling Unit Result Sheets, Form EC8A, exceeded 98 per cent in recent off-cycle elections.
“Technology has permanently closed the door on legacy voting vulnerabilities, ensuring that the ballot box alone determines electoral outcomes,” Amupitan declared.
He, however, warned that technology alone cannot guarantee credible elections.
He listed security threats, electoral violence, vote-buying, hate speech, disinformation and Foreign Information Manipulation and Interference as major risks to voter confidence.
To address this, INEC said it is working with security agencies through the Inter-Agency Consultative Committee on Election Security. The commission is also collaborating with the EFCC and ICPC to enforce electoral laws, monitor campaign finance and prosecute offenders.
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He added that the commission is conducting a comprehensive audit of the national voters’ register through Continuous Voter Registration and its Automated Biometric Identification System to detect and remove duplicate registrations.
Amupitan said INEC is also expanding early deployment plans and strengthening partnerships with transport unions to ensure personnel and materials arrive on time for the 8:30 a.m. opening of polls.
The chairman said greater attention is being paid to inclusion, with assistive devices and priority access for Persons With Disabilities, pregnant women, nursing mothers and the elderly.
Amupitan assured the IRI delegation of INEC’s open-door policy and described international observers as “invaluable institutional partners” rather than critics, whose recommendations can help strengthen public trust.
He gave a categorical assurance that INEC has no preference for any party or candidate.
“As an electoral management body, INEC holds no preference for any political party or candidate. Our sole responsibility is to act as an uncompromising, impartial umpire,” he said.
The IRI mission, which arrived on August 11 and will conclude on August 21, is in Nigeria at a critical point in the electoral calendar. Its visit follows the Osun governorship election of August 15 and coincides with the start of campaigns for 2027.