The Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Prof. Joash Amupitan has charged Electoral Officers and Heads of Department in the Southwest to approach the challenges of the 2027 General Election with greater commitment, discipline and preparedness.
Amupitan gave the charge in Lagos during the opening of the Southwest Zonal Interaction Meeting and Readiness Assessment, held at the Radisson Blu Hotel, Ikeja.
The meeting marked the beginning of the INEC Chairman’s six-zone national tour aimed at assessing the Commission’s operational readiness ahead of the 2027 General Election.
The Presidential and National Assembly Elections are scheduled to hold on Saturday, January 16, 2027, while the Governorship and State Houses of Assembly Elections are expected to take place on Saturday, February 6, 2027.
Addressing Electoral Officers, Heads of Department, senior administrative staff and other officials from the six states of the Southwest, Amupitan said the Commission must begin to face the task ahead with seriousness and determination.
Declaring that preparations for the election could no longer be delayed, he said, “The 2027 General Election is here,” adding that INEC must confront the exercise “frontally.”
According to him, the recently concluded off-cycle elections had provided important lessons that should guide the Commission’s preparations for the national polls.
He identified the Anambra State Governorship Election, the FCT Area Council Election and the recent Osun State Governorship Election as important experiences from which INEC could assess its performance, identify weaknesses and improve its processes.
“Those off-cycle elections have provided us with the mirror through which we can see into the 2027 elections,” Amupitan said.
The INEC Chairman explained that his decision to personally interact with Electoral Officers and other field officials was deliberate, stressing that elections were ultimately won or lost at the operational level.
“The true success of any election is not decided solely in the meeting rooms of our headquarters in Abuja. It is indeed decided in the field,” he said.
He urged the officials to use the engagement to openly discuss the realities they face, identify gaps in the Commission’s operations and present practical solutions that could strengthen preparations for the 2027 elections.
Amupitan said the Commission must continue to learn from every election it conducts, noting that challenges experienced during one exercise should help shape better strategies for future polls.
He also commended INEC officials who took part in the recent Osun State Governorship Election, saying the positive public assessment of the exercise was largely due to the efforts of personnel who worked to protect the integrity of the ballot.
Earlier, the Resident Electoral Commissioner for Lagos State, Prof. Ayobami Salami, said the credibility of any election was built long before voters arrived at polling units.
He said effective preparation, coordination, competent personnel and regular assessment were critical to a successful election.
Salami added that the readiness assessment must go beyond ordinary checklists to examine human resources, logistics, infrastructure, technology, electoral materials, security and stakeholder engagement.
He urged Electoral Officers and Heads of Department to speak frankly about their challenges and identify weaknesses early as INEC intensifies preparations for the 2027 General Election.
The Lagos interaction is the first of several planned engagements across the six geopolitical zones as the Commission moves to strengthen its readiness for the elections.