Jane Salihu
The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has intensified preparations for the 2027 general election, combining early logistics planning with a nationwide grassroots campaign against voter apathy, vote buying and electoral violence.
The Commission’s Chairman, Prof. Joash Amupitan disclosed this on Thursday in Abuja while inaugurating the Electoral Logistics Committee and flagging off the National Orientation Agency’s nationwide mobilisation campaign ahead of the elections.
Amupitan charged members to develop a comprehensive operational framework that would ensure the timely distribution of election materials across the country, warning that logistical failures must not prevent eligible Nigerians from exercising their franchise.
He said the Commission had adopted a multi-agency approach to address the challenges of transporting sensitive and non-sensitive election materials across Nigeria’s diverse geographical terrain.
According to him, the committee, chaired by National Commissioner Rear Admiral Jamila Malafa (rtd), is expected to assess logistics requirements, audit warehouses and transportation facilities, identify operational gaps and recommend measures to prevent delays.
Its responsibilities also include coordinating the movement of personnel and materials by road, air and water, while developing security arrangements for difficult terrains, riverine communities and areas facing security challenges.
Amupitan said early planning was necessary to anticipate transportation bottlenecks, adverse weather conditions and other risks that could disrupt election-day operations.
He stressed that the credibility of the electoral process would depend partly on whether polling units were properly equipped and ready to receive voters at the scheduled time.
At a separate event marking the flag-off of the NOA’s nationwide grassroots mobilisation campaign, the INEC chairman urged the agency’s officials to take voter education messages to traditional palaces, markets, places of worship, campuses and village squares across the 774 local government areas.
He identified voter apathy, vote buying and electoral violence as major challenges capable of undermining public confidence in the electoral process.
On voter participation, Amupitan urged Nigerians to verify their registration status, collect their Permanent Voter Cards and participate peacefully in the elections.
He assured voters that valid ballots would be accurately counted and reflected in the final results, citing the Bimodal Voter Accreditation System and the INEC Result Viewing Portal as important components of the electoral process.
The chairman also warned against vote buying, describing it as an attack on constitutional democracy that compromises voters’ freedom of choice.
He disclosed that INEC had reconfigured polling unit layouts to strengthen ballot secrecy and prevent voters from exposing their marked ballots to party agents or individuals seeking to influence their choices with money.
Amupitan further said the Commission was working through the Inter-Agency Consultative Committee on Election Security with relevant anti-corruption agencies and security organisations to tackle electoral offences.
On violence, he warned political parties, candidates and youth groups against actions capable of threatening lives or destroying property, urging them to resolve electoral disputes through lawful channels.
He also called on the media and civil society organisations to intensify voter education, fact-check misinformation and promote responsible political participation, particularly in the face of emerging threats posed by artificial intelligence-generated deepfakes.
Providing an update on preparations, Amupitan said the National Register of Voters had exceeded 103 million, with 176,846 polling units nationwide.
He added that INEC had completed nine of the 14 key statutory activities outlined in its timetable and schedule of activities for the 2027 general election.
In his keynote address, the Director-General of the NOA, Lanre Issa-Onilu, said the agency would deploy its state directorates across the 36 states and the Federal Capital Territory, alongside Community Orientation and Mobilisation Officers in all 774 local government areas.
He explained that the campaign would use community dialogues, local-language communication, radio discussions, drama, short audio messages and digital platforms to reach Nigerians across different communities.
Issa-Onilu emphasised that the initiative was non-partisan and aimed at encouraging citizens to participate in the electoral process without resorting to violence or selling their votes.
He called for continued technical collaboration with INEC, particularly in providing verified voter education information and coordinating mobilisation activities across national, state and local structures.
The campaign is being conducted under the theme, “Your Vote, Your Voice, Our Future: Say No to Apathy, Vote Buying and Violence. Let’s Build a United Nigeria in 2027.”
The events were attended by representatives of security agencies, government institutions, political parties, civil society organisations, traditional and religious leaders, as well as youth, women and persons with disabilities.
