The Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Professor Joash Amupitan, has assured Nigerians that their votes will determine the winners of the 2027 general elections, declaring that the commission has no preferred candidate or political party.
Amupitan also tasked the Guild of Corporate Online Publishers (GOCOP) and the media in general on need to promote credible elections by combating fake news, verifying information and reporting electoral developments responsibly.
Assurance
He gave the assurance on Thursday while delivering the keynote address at GOCOP’s 10th Annual Conference at the Radisson Blu Hotel, Ikeja, Lagos. He was represented by the Lagos State Resident Electoral Commissioner, Professor Ayobami Salami.
Speaking on the conference theme, “2027 Elections: Trust, Transparency and Shared Responsibilities,” Amupitan said INEC’s allegiance was to the Constitution, the law and the Nigerian electorate.
Nigerians’ Will
“Let me tell you, on behalf of the commission, that in the 2027 election, by the grace of God, what will determine the winner would be the votes of Nigerians, and the will of Nigerians will prevail,” he said.
He added that the success of the elections would depend not only on the deployment of personnel and equipment but also on the transparency of the electoral process, the credibility of the results and the commitment of stakeholders to protecting the ballot.
Amupitan warned that election periods were increasingly vulnerable to coordinated disinformation, politically motivated violence narratives, synthetic media and artificial intelligence-generated deepfakes capable of misleading the public and undermining confidence in institutions.
He therefore urged online publishers to resist clickbait-driven reporting and ensure that speed did not take precedence over accuracy.
“Being first with a false story is a costly failure; being accurate with a verified fact is a public service,” he said.
Warning
The INEC chairman warned that fake news, unverified leaks and sensationalised reports could erode public confidence, incite unrest and discourage voter participation. He urged publishers to seek official confirmation when electoral delays or other operational challenges occur rather than presenting isolated incidents as evidence of a systemic failure.
On the commission’s preparations for the 2027 elections, Amupitan said INEC had undertaken structural, technological and logistical reforms over the preceding 14 months.
He disclosed that the commission had issued a revised timetable and schedule of activities for the elections on February 26, 2026, and was implementing grassroots deployment plans across more than 176,000 polling units nationwide.
According to him, INEC had also conducted a three-phase Continuous Voter Registration exercise in compliance with Section 10 of the Electoral Act 2026 and completed the public display of the preliminary register of voters for claims and objections.
He said the commission was finalising the official register of voters and synchronising registration data through its Automated Biometric Identification System to identify and eliminate duplicate registrations. He put Nigeria’s registered voter population at approximately 103 million.
Amupitan further announced that nationwide collection of Permanent Voter Cards (PVCs) was scheduled to commence on Friday, October 9, 2026, urging GOCOP members to use their platforms to educate registered voters and direct them to designated local government offices and registration area centres.
On technology, he said INEC had upgraded its Bimodal Voter Accreditation System (BVAS), conducted a nationwide audit of the devices and procured additional units based on operational requirements.
He also highlighted the enhanced electronic EC8A protocol, which he said was designed to digitise polling-unit result sheets after counting and transmit them to the public results viewing portal, improving transparency and reducing opportunities for manual alteration during collation.
The commission, he added, had introduced additional cybersecurity measures, including artificial intelligence-assisted data auditing and multilayered firewalls, in collaboration with technology companies, to protect its databases against cyberattacks and unauthorised access.
To address logistical challenges, Amupitan said INEC had commenced procurement and delivery of non-sensitive electoral materials to its offices across the 36 states and the Federal Capital Territory. He added that a central operations schedule had been introduced to monitor the movement and security of materials, alongside vehicle tracking across state command centres.
He also disclosed that the commission had operationalised the Consolidated Election Management Body Salary Structure and intensified voter education through traditional, digital and grassroots communication channels.
According to him, the voter education programme would focus on voting procedures, accreditation requirements, BVAS operations, PVC collection and Election Day regulations, with tailored outreach to promote inclusion.
Amupitan urged editors and media leaders to work with INEC to strengthen public confidence in the electoral process through accurate reporting, civic education and responsible coverage ahead of the 2027 general elections.
