The Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Prof. Joash Amupitan, has declared that the commission will not alter the timetable for the 2027 general elections, insisting that the polls must hold as scheduled.
Amupitan gave the assurance during an interactive meeting with INEC staff members from the six South-South states in Port Harcourt, Rivers State, where the commission assessed its level of preparedness for the forthcoming elections.
He said the electoral body’s statutory timeline was fixed and would not be adjusted without lawful justification, stressing that INEC remained committed to conducting credible elections in accordance with the law.
“Our statutory timeline is fixed. We will not change anything. The election must hold as scheduled,” he said.
The INEC chairman also announced that Rivers State would receive special attention during the elections, citing its position as the state with the highest number of registered voters in the South-South geopolitical zone.
According to figures released by the commission, Rivers has 3,736,434 registered voters, followed by Delta with 3,525,988; Edo, 2,865,263; Akwa Ibom, 2,566,198; Cross River, 1,928,978; and Bayelsa, 1,200,691.
The six states have a combined total of 15,823,550 registered voters.
Amupitan said the commission would pay closer attention to electoral activities in Rivers, charging officials to ensure that no eligible voter was disenfranchised through operational failures.
He disclosed that INEC had published the voters’ register online and at designated locations, adding that the commission had received more than 5,000 requests for corrections involving details such as names and dates of birth, alongside over 600 objections.
He said the issues were being addressed ahead of the release of the final voters’ register scheduled for December 15.
The INEC chairman explained that he had initially considered revalidating the voters’ register after assuming office but abandoned the proposal following concerns that the exercise would be too close to the 2027 general elections.
On preparations for the polls, Amupitan expressed confidence in the commission’s ability to conduct peaceful, transparent and credible elections, citing lessons from recent off-cycle governorship elections, particularly in Osun State.
He said the Osun governorship election recorded the highest voter turnout in the state’s off-cycle election history and was adjudged credible by local and international observers despite earlier security concerns.
According to him, the experience gained from recent elections would help INEC strengthen its preparations and address operational challenges ahead of the nationwide polls.
On security, Amupitan said the commission was collaborating with security agencies, including the Nigeria Police Force and the Department of State Services (DSS), to protect voters, electoral officials, ad hoc staff and election materials.
He stressed that Nigerians must be able to collect their Permanent Voter Cards and exercise their voting rights without fear.
The INEC chairman also dismissed concerns that artificial intelligence and computer algorithms could determine the outcome of the 2027 elections, insisting that the electorate would remain responsible for deciding the results.
“It is the people of Nigeria that will decide the outcome of the elections and not AI or any algorithms,” he said.
He, however, warned about cybersecurity threats associated with emerging technologies, saying the commission was exploring ways to deploy technology to protect its digital infrastructure against possible attacks.
Amupitan urged INEC personnel across the South-South to remain committed to their responsibilities, noting that the credibility of elections depended largely on the conduct of officials at polling units and other field locations.
