The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has kicked off its intensive planning cycle for the 2027 general election, starting with a landmark three-day leadership workshop in Lagos.
The event, organised in partnership with the International Foundation for Electoral Systems (IFES), marks the first major strategic outing for the new INEC Chairman, Joash Amupitan, since assuming office in October 2025.
In a significant display of continental solidarity, the workshop was attended by Mosotho Moepya, Chairperson of the Electoral Commission of South Africa (IEC).
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Amupitan hailed the presence of his South African counterpart as a “historic moment,” emphasising that African electoral bodies must stand together to ensure democratic excellence.
“We look to you to do well,” Moepya remarked in a poignant message of support, signalling that the eyes of the continent are on Nigeria’s 2027 trajectory.
A core focus of the Lagos summit is the “toxic” threat of misinformation.
Amupitan revealed that the Commission is already being targeted by sophisticated fake news campaigns, including viral fabrications about official 2027 timetables and massive staff recruitment drives.
“Democracy can be a shell without the lifeblood of trust,” Amupitan declared. “Today that trust is being systematically undermined… where fake news travels faster than the truth.”
The workshop serves as a strategic countermeasure, aimed at training INEC leadership to act with the “unity of vision” necessary to protect the integrity of the ballot box.
While 2027 remains the long-term objective, the Chairman identified three critical elections in 2026 that will serve as testing grounds for INEC’s technology and institutional resilience.
He said the first is the FCT Area Council elections scheduled for 21 February 2026, followed by the first phase of the governorship elections in June 2026 and a second phase in November 2026.
Amupitan stressed that Nigerians expect these polls to be conducted with “meticulous care”, adding that the demand is for a Commission that is independent in both thought and action.
Matthew Ayibakuro of the FCDO noted that a single credible election could accelerate a nation’s development by over a decade.
Meanwhile, Seray Jah of IFES lauded INEC’s proactive approach, noting that electoral credibility is determined by decisions made years in advance, not just weeks before the polls.
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The workshop brought together the full core of INEC’s top brass, including all National Commissioners and senior directors.
This unified front is designed to ensure that as the Commission undergoes leadership transitions and retirements, its “clarity of purpose” remains unshaken.
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