2027: INEC chairman warns workers against partisanship

Etim Ekpimah

The Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Prof. Joash Amupitan, has warned electoral officials in the North-East against partisan conduct, logistical failures and administrative negligence ahead of the 2027 general elections.

He also stressed the need to protect the voting rights of the zone’s 13.9 million registered voters.

Amupitan gave the warning on Tuesday, October 27, 2026, at INEC’s North-East Zonal Interactive Staff Meeting and Operational Readiness Assessment in Gombe State.

He said the credibility of the elections would depend on the professionalism, integrity, punctuality and preparedness of electoral personnel at polling units, ward collation centres and local government offices.

According to him, poor communication, inadequate logistics and partisan behaviour could undermine public confidence in the electoral process and create opportunities for misinformation.

The INEC chairman said the commission’s nationwide readiness assessments aimed to identify operational gaps, evaluate staff preparedness, and strengthen its capacity before the elections.

He added that the Gombe meeting followed similar exercises in the South-West, North-West and South-East geopolitical zones.

As part of the assessment, the commission’s leadership inspected INEC’s zonal store and its Gombe Local Government Area office. The delegation also visited the palace of the Emir of Gombe, Alhaji Abubakar Shehu Abubakar III.

“The true integrity of an election is not determined in conference rooms in Abuja; it is forged in the field,” Amupitan said, emphasising that the conduct of officials at the grassroots would shape public confidence in the elections.

He disclosed that the North-East had 13,965,475 registered voters across Bauchi, Borno, Adamawa, Taraba, Gombe and Yobe states, representing approximately 13.51 per cent of Nigeria’s more than 103 million registered voters.

Bauchi had 3,012,547 registered voters, followed by Borno with 2,765,165, Adamawa with 2,431,146, Taraba with 2,254,380, Gombe with 1,768,566 and Yobe with 1,733,671.

Amupitan said the figures underscored the need for transparent, secure and efficient electoral administration to protect citizens’ constitutional right to vote.

He urged electoral officials to eliminate administrative bottlenecks, improve the distribution and collection of Permanent Voter Cards (PVCs), and ensure that logistical challenges did not prevent eligible voters from participating in the elections.

He warned that every eligible voter must be allowed to exercise their franchise without hindrance.