The Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Prof. Joash Amupitan, has directed Administrative Secretaries across the 36 states and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) to tighten operations and resolve potential gaps ahead of the 2027 general elections.
Amupitan gave the directive on Monday, September 7, 2026, in Lagos at the opening of a two-day strategic workshop for the commission’s Administrative Secretaries, describing them as central to its state-level operations.
He urged the officials to apply lessons from recent off-cycle elections, particularly the Osun governorship poll, to strengthen election administration nationwide.
INEC is also introducing an Administrative Secretary Master Operational Tracker, a data-driven system that will provide real-time updates on the preparedness of its state offices.
Linked to the Election Monitoring and Support Centre (EMSC), the tracker will allow headquarters to monitor key activities, including election-material distribution and personnel training.
Amupitan said the system would enable the commission to detect and tackle operational problems before they affect election delivery.
He warned against shortcuts and political interference, saying they could weaken INEC’s neutrality.
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“If you tolerate shortcuts, shortcuts will multiply. If you tolerate political interference, neutrality will deteriorate,” he said.
Citing former United States Secretary of State and retired General Colin Powell, Amupitan stressed that successful outcomes depend on preparation, hard work and learning from failure.
The workshop is reviewing voter registration and Permanent Voter Card (PVC) collection, logistics and sensitive-material management, electoral technology, personnel and financial compliance.
The technology component covers the Bimodal Voter Accreditation System (BVAS), INEC Results Viewing Portal (IReV) and Candidate Registration and Results Management System (CROMS), while personnel preparations include the recruitment, vetting and training of ad-hoc staff.
Amupitan charged the officials to identify state-specific bottlenecks and ensure their offices are ready for the 2027 polls.
The focus on early intervention follows operational challenges recorded in previous elections. In 2023, INEC shifted the Governorship and State House of Assembly elections from March 11 to March 18 to allow the reconfiguration of BVAS devices used in the earlier Presidential and National Assembly polls.
For 2027, INEC’s revised timetable schedules the Presidential and National Assembly elections for January 16, 2027, and the Governorship and State House of Assembly elections for February 6, 2027.
The commission is seeking to ensure that logistical, technological and administrative shortcomings are identified and resolved well before polling day.