The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has begun key preparations for the 2027 General Election with a two-day Induction and Strategic Retreat for its newly appointed leadership in Ikeja, Lagos State.
The retreat brings together the INEC Chairman, National Commissioners, Resident Electoral Commissioners, Directors and senior management staff.
Welcoming participants, the Lagos State Resident Electoral Commissioner, Professor Ayobami Salami, described the retreat as timely, stressing that public expectations of Nigeria’s electoral process are higher than ever.
He said the engagement was designed to strengthen leadership capacity, improve institutional cohesion and enhance early planning ahead of future elections.
In his opening address, INEC Chairman, Professor Joash Amupitan, described participants as custodians of the Nigerian people’s will, noting that sound strategy must be matched with capable leadership and effective execution.
He commended INEC staff for the successful conduct of the Anambra State governorship election in November 2025, calling it a signal of readiness for upcoming electoral challenges.
Professor Amupitan said while the 2027 General Election is the ultimate focus, earlier elections—including the FCT Area Council polls in February 2026 and off-cycle governorship elections in Ekiti and Osun States—will serve as testing grounds to fine-tune operations such as voter registration and deployment of the BVAS technology.
He reaffirmed INEC’s commitment to free, fair, credible, transparent and inclusive elections, with strict adherence to the Electoral Act.
The retreat will deliberate on 17 thematic areas, including logistics, election security, Continuous Voter Registration and inter-agency collaboration, as INEC works toward becoming Africa’s leading election management body.
Reporting by Taoreed Abdullahi