Canada has reaffirmed its commitment to supporting Nigeria’s democratic and electoral processes ahead of the 2027 General Election, promising continued engagement with the Independent National Electoral Commission.
The Chargé d’Affaires of Canada to Nigeria, David Sproule, gave the assurance on Friday, August 21, during a courtesy visit to INEC headquarters in Abuja.
Sproule said Canada supported countries working to strengthen democracy and ensure elections were free, fair, credible and legitimate.
He expressed particular interest in INEC’s preparations for 2027 and pledged continued Canadian support in electoral participation, women’s inclusion, public awareness, technical assistance and election observation.
Receiving the delegation, INEC Chairman, Prof. Joash Ojo Amupitan, SAN, described Nigeria-Canada relations as a longstanding partnership based on mutual respect, democratic values, the rule of law and good governance.
The chairman said recent off-cycle elections had provided opportunities for INEC to test reforms and improve its operations.
He cited the Anambra, FCT Area Council and Ekiti elections, as well as the August 15 Osun governorship poll. He said the commission would use lessons from polls to strengthen preparations and address operational gaps before 2027.
According to Amupitan, 3,556 of Osun’s 3,763 polling units, representing 94.5 per cent, opened for accreditation and voting by 8:30 a.m. He also highlighted BVAS performance, result uploads through the IReV portal and crisis management during the election.
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“We view the success in Osun not as a final destination, but as the gold standard that will guide our preparations for 2027,” the chairman stated.
Amupitan said statutory campaigns for the 2027 election began on August 19, 2026. He also noted INEC’s participation in the First National Peace Accord on Issue-Based Campaigns signed by presidential candidates on August 18.
He identified five priorities: consolidating technology gains, deepening inclusivity, strengthening institutional capacity, countering misinformation and protecting electoral integrity, and conducting a nationwide mock accreditation exercise in November.
INEC expects to deploy about 1.4 million ad-hoc personnel across more than 176,000 polling units for the election.
Amupitan also disclosed that INEC had created an Artificial Intelligence Unit to explore responsible uses of AI in voter registration, data management and results transmission while guarding against misuse.
He said INEC would attend a global conference on responsible AI and elections in Ottawa from September 9 to 11, 2026.
The chairman appealed for Canada’s assistance with expedited visas for INEC delegates attending the conference.
Reaffirming the commission’s neutrality, Amupitan assured the Canadian delegation of INEC’s “absolute independence, neutrality, and unyielding commitment to democratic integrity.”
Both sides pledged sustained cooperation towards Nigeria’s democratic development and a successful 2027 General Election.