The Independent National Electoral Commission has dismissed suggestions that the 2027 general elections could be postponed, insisting that the polls will take place on the dates already scheduled.
INEC Chairman, Professor Joash Amupitan, gave the assurance on Saturday during an interactive session with commission staff and Resident Electoral Commissioners from the six South-South states in Port Harcourt, Rivers State.
He said preparations for the elections were progressing and that the commission had no intention of changing its statutory timetable, despite claims by some political parties that a postponement was being considered.
“Our statutory timeline is fixed. We will not change anything. The election must hold as scheduled,” the INEC boss declared.
Amupitan said the commission would give particular attention to Rivers State because of its electoral importance and its position as the state with the highest number of registered voters in the South-South region.
He disclosed that Rivers had 3,736,434 registered voters, while Delta had 3,525,988. Edo followed with 2,865,263, Akwa Ibom had 2,566,198, Cross River recorded 1,928,978, and Bayelsa had 1,200,691.
The six states collectively have 15,823,550 registered voters, according to the INEC chairman.
“With the 3,736,434 registered voters for Rivers State, the state leads the South-South. By this, the commission will put more attention to what happens in Rivers State. It is your duty to ensure that no voter is disenfranchised because of operational failures,” he said.
On preparations for the elections, Amupitan said the commission had made the voters’ register available online and at designated centres for public inspection.
He disclosed that INEC had received more than 5,000 requests for corrections to details such as names and dates of birth, alongside over 600 objections. He said the commission was addressing the submissions to ensure the accuracy of the register.
The final voters’ register, he announced, would be published on December 15, with the commission working to resolve all outstanding issues before then.
Amupitan also explained that INEC had initially considered conducting a fresh validation of the voters’ register after he assumed office but abandoned the plan because the exercise would have been too close to the general elections.
The chairman expressed confidence in the commission’s ability to deliver peaceful, transparent and credible polls, pointing to lessons from recent off-cycle governorship elections, particularly the Osun State election.
He said the Osun poll recorded the highest voter turnout among off-cycle elections in the country and received positive assessments from local and international observers despite security concerns raised before the exercise.
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“Osun State elections gave us the confidence that we can achieve this despite the noise. It is good that we had a series of those elections before the general elections because we learn lessons from every election,” Amupitan stated.
He added that INEC would apply the experience gained from the off-cycle elections to improve its preparations for the 2027 polls, expressing confidence that the general elections would be better conducted.
“We will conduct elections that will move the nation forward and not an election that will bring it down,” he said.
On security, Amupitan disclosed that the commission was collaborating with relevant agencies, including the Nigeria Police Force and the Department of State Services, to protect voters, electoral officials, ad hoc personnel and election materials.
He said INEC would not encourage citizens to obtain their Permanent Voter Cards without taking the necessary steps to ensure they could safely exercise their voting rights on election day.
“We want every part of Nigeria to be calm during the elections so that people can come out to vote. We will not tell them to take their PVCs and then will not guarantee their safety,” he said.
The INEC chairman also dismissed concerns that artificial intelligence or computer algorithms could determine the outcome of the 2027 elections, maintaining that the choice would rest with Nigerian voters.
“It is the people of Nigeria that will decide the outcome of the elections and not AI or any algorithms,” he said.
However, he acknowledged the cybersecurity risks associated with artificial intelligence and said the commission was exploring ways to use technology to protect its systems from possible attacks.
Amupitan assured that INEC was working to strengthen its digital infrastructure and would not allow individuals or groups to disrupt its operations.
He urged staff members across the South-South region to discharge their duties responsibly, noting that the credibility of the elections would depend significantly on their conduct at polling units and other locations.
He also warned that electoral officers and ad hoc personnel, including members of the National Youth Service Corps, who attempted to manipulate the process in their assigned areas would face punishment in accordance with the law.