2027 elections is fixed and can’t be shifted – Amupitan

The Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission, Professor Joash Amupitan, has said the commission will not change the timetable for the 2027 general elections, insisting that the polls will take place as scheduled. Amupitan spoke in Port Harcourt, Rivers State, during an interactive meeting with INEC employees from the six South-South states to assess their readiness for the elections.

He said the commission remained committed to meeting its statutory obligations and conducting credible elections in accordance with the law. “Our statutory timeline is fixed. We will not change anything. The election must hold as scheduled,” he said. The INEC chairman said Rivers would receive particular attention because it had the highest number of registered voters in the South-South.

He put the state’s registered voter population at 3,736,434, followed by Delta with 3,525,988 and Edo with 2,865,263. Akwa Ibom has 2,566,198 registered voters, Cross River has 1,928,978, while Bayelsa has 1,200,691, according to the figures he presented.

“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,” Amupitan said. “It is your duty to ensure that no voter is disenfranchised because of operational failures.” He also provided an update on the review of the voters’ register, saying INEC had published it online and at designated locations for public scrutiny.

According to him, the commission had received more than 5,000 claims for corrections, including changes relating to names and dates of birth, as well as over 600 objections. Amupitan said those submissions were being addressed to improve the accuracy and credibility of the register before the elections.

He confirmed that the final voters’ register would be released on December 15 and said the commission intended to resolve outstanding issues before that date. The chairman disclosed that he had initially considered revalidating the register after taking office but dropped the proposal following concerns that the exercise would take place too close to the general elections.

Amupitan expressed confidence in INEC’s ability to conduct peaceful, transparent and credible polls, citing lessons from recent off-cycle governorship elections, particularly in Osun State. He said the Osun election recorded the state’s highest turnout for an off-cycle election and received positive assessments from local and international observers despite earlier security concerns.

“Osun State elections gave us the confidence that we can achieve this despite the noise,” he said. “It is good that we had a series of those elections before the general elections because we learn lessons from every election.” He said the commission would apply those experiences to its preparations for 2027.

“We will conduct elections that will move the nation forward and not an election that will bring it down,” he added. On security, Amupitan said INEC was working with the police, the Department of State Services and other security agencies to protect voters, electoral personnel, ad hoc staff and election materials.

He said encouraging Nigerians to collect their Permanent Voter Cards must be accompanied by efforts to ensure they could safely exercise their voting rights. “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.

Amupitan also dismissed concerns that artificial intelligence or algorithms would determine the election results. “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 growing cybersecurity threats associated with AI and said the commission would examine how technology could help protect its systems against attacks.

He added that INEC was strengthening its digital infrastructure and would not allow interference to undermine its operations. Amupitan urged employees across the South-South to remain diligent, saying the credibility of elections depended on the conduct of officials at polling units and other field locations.