The Kimpact Development Initiative (KDI), in partnership with Chatham House, has convened a high-level dialogue featuring the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) on Nigeria’s 2027 general elections, with INEC Chairman, Prof. Joash Amupitan, SAN, outlining measures to strengthen electoral credibility and rebuild public confidence in the Commission.
The engagement, held on Thursday, November 12, 2026, at Chatham House in London, was themed “Nigeria’s 2027 Elections: Democratic Trajectory and Regional Stability Beyond the Ballot.” It examined electoral credibility, institutional trust, the economic implications of elections, regional stability and the role of international partnerships in supporting democratic governance.
Amupitan Acknowledges 2023 Election Controversies, Seeks Public Confidence
Addressing concerns about public confidence in INEC, the Commission’s Chairman, Prof. Joash Amupitan, SAN, acknowledged that the controversies surrounding the 2023 general election had significantly damaged the Commission’s reputation and that efforts to restore public trust remained ongoing.
“First and foremost, let me speak about what happened in 2023, which resulted in a significant trust deficit for INEC—damage so large that the Commission has not yet fully recovered from it,” he said.
Amupitan, who assumed office in October 2025, said the Commission had treated subsequent off-cycle elections as opportunities to identify operational weaknesses and improve its electoral processes, particularly voter accreditation, voting and result management.
Responding to why Nigerians should trust his leadership ahead of 2027, he cited the governorship elections in Anambra, Osun and Ekiti states, the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Area Council elections and 16 legislative by-elections as evidence of improvements in the Commission’s operations.
He noted that the recent Anambra and Osun governorship elections recorded improvements in result declaration, with results announced the day after voting, unlike previous experiences in which the processes took several days to conclude.
INEC Unveils New Technical Safeguards to Prevent Result Manipulation
Amupitan identified insecurity, logistics and result management as the three major areas the Commission was prioritising ahead of the 2027 elections.
He disclosed that a post-election assessment of the 2023 general election identified collation centres as major points of failure in result management, rather than polling units alone.
According to him, INEC has introduced technical validation measures to prevent inaccurate results and figures reflecting over-voting from being uploaded to its Result Viewing Portal (IReV).
“In 2023, there were instances of inaccurate results or results with over-voting being uploaded onto IReV. We have now devised a technical safeguard: if a result is not accurate at the polling unit, it will not go to IReV at all,” he said.
The INEC Chairman explained that the Commission had considered introducing an entirely new electoral technology for 2027 but opted to upgrade its existing infrastructure because of the limited time available before the elections.
He also addressed concerns about the malfunctioning of the Bimodal Voter Accreditation System (BVAS) during the 2023 elections, which he attributed partly to extreme heat and storage conditions. He said INEC was constructing climate-controlled storage facilities across the states and had procured additional devices.
Amupitan added that the Commission had reduced the maximum number of registered voters assigned to each BVAS device from 1,250 to 850. Polling units with more than 850 registered voters would receive multiple devices to improve accreditation efficiency.
Commission Fixes November 28 for Nationwide Mock Accreditation
As part of efforts to test the upgraded electoral technology before the 2027 general elections, Amupitan announced that INEC would conduct a nationwide mock accreditation exercise on November 28, 2026.
He said the exercise would simulate aspects of the presidential election and allow the Commission to assess the effectiveness of its voter accreditation and electronic result transmission systems across the country.
“On the 28th of this month, we will conduct a mock accreditation across all states of the federation to simulate the presidential election and verify that we have gotten both accreditation and electronic result transmission right,” he stated.
On election funding, the INEC Chairman confirmed that the Commission had received a substantial portion of its budget for the 2027 elections but was awaiting the release of the outstanding balance.
He explained that part of the outstanding funds would support the recruitment and welfare of ad hoc electoral personnel, adding that the Commission had received assurances that the money would be released before the end of November.
The mock accreditation exercise is expected to provide an opportunity to identify technical and operational challenges ahead of the general elections scheduled to begin in January 2027.
Amupitan Addresses Neutrality Concerns, Urges Youth Participation Ahead of 2027
The INEC Chairman also addressed allegations circulating on social media linking his phone number to a controversial account on X, formerly Twitter, dismissing claims that he operated the account.
He disclosed that an independent forensic review had been obtained and that the matter had been referred to the Department of State Services (DSS) and the Inspector-General of Police for investigation.
Amupitan further rejected suggestions that his previous legal representation in political disputes could affect his neutrality, explaining that his actions before becoming INEC Chairman were strictly within his professional responsibilities as a Senior Advocate of Nigeria.
“My loyalty is solely to the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria and the Electoral Act,” he said, adding that all constitutional institutions, including the Presidency, the National Assembly and state governors, must uphold the Constitution and the rule of law.
On allegations of irregularities in the voter register, including claims of an 85 per cent increase in registered voters in a ward in Ebonyi State, he said the Commission had investigated and addressed the complaint in accordance with statutory procedures.
He also urged Nigerians, particularly young people, to participate actively in the democratic process and verify information before sharing it, warning that misinformation remained a major threat to electoral credibility.
The dialogue also examined how electoral conduct and outcomes could influence investor confidence, international engagement, cross-border security, migration and cooperation across West Africa. KDI said the partnership with Chatham House provided an opportunity to bring evidence from Nigeria’s electoral realities into international policy discussions and connect them to practical action.
The 2027 Presidential and National Assembly elections are scheduled for January 16, 2027, while the governorship and State Houses of Assembly elections will hold on February 6, 2027.
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