INEC kicks off early planning for 2027 polls with leadership workshop

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The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), in partnership with the International Foundation for Electoral Systems (IFES), has begun early preparations for the 2027 General Elections with the commencement of a three-day leadership workshop in Ikeja, Lagos.

The high-level workshop, themed “Strategic Opportunities and Challenges to Electoral Administration in Nigeria and Africa,” marks the formal start of INEC’s intensive planning cycle for the next general elections and has attracted key domestic and international stakeholders in electoral governance.

Speaking at the opening session, INEC Chairman, Professor Joash Amupitan, SAN, described the workshop as timely, noting that it comes at a period of internal transition within the Commission and heightened public expectations of the electoral process.

Amupitan said the gathering provides a platform for strategic reflection, leadership alignment and institutional renewal as INEC prepares for what he described as a demanding electoral cycle.

He also welcomed the Chairperson of South Africa’s Electoral Commission, Mr. Mosotho Simon Moepya, describing his participation as historic and a reflection of growing cooperation among electoral management bodies across Africa.

“I treasure this so much,” the INEC chairman said, noting that it was his first official engagement with a fellow electoral commission chair since assuming office. He added that African electoral bodies share a collective responsibility to deepen democratic culture on the continent.

Amupitan expressed appreciation to INEC’s development partners for their sustained support, particularly IFES, which he said has maintained a decades-long partnership with Nigeria in strengthening electoral administration.

He also acknowledged the support of the United Kingdom’s Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO), the Centre for Democracy and Development (CDD), and international electoral facilitation experts participating in the workshop.

The INEC chairman noted that the Commission is approaching a series of off-cycle elections ahead of 2027, including the Federal Capital Territory Area Council elections scheduled for February 21, 2026, as well as governorship elections slated for June and November 2026.

According to him, the off-cycle polls will serve as critical test cases for INEC’s systems, technology and operational processes under intense public scrutiny.

“Nigerians expect an electoral management body that is independent in thought and action, transparent in its processes, professional in its handling and credible in its conduct,” Amupitan said.

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