2027 elections fixed, can’t be shifted – Amupitan

PORT HARCOURT: The Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Prof. Joash Amupitan, has stressed that the commission would not alter the timetable for the 2027 general elections, insisting that the elections must hold as already scheduled.

Amupitan stated this during the commission’s interactive meeting with staff members of the Commission in all six states of South-South geopolitical zone and assessment of their readiness for the 2027 general elections, which held in Port Harcourt, Rivers State.

Addressing participants, Amupitan said the commission’s statutory timeline for the elections was fixed and would not be adjusted for no reason, noting that INEC was committed to delivering credible elections in line with the provisions of the law.

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He said: “Our statutory timeline is fixed. We will not change anything. The election must hold as scheduled.”

The INEC boss also disclosed that Rivers State would receive special attention from the commission in the elections, following its position as the state with the highest number of registered voters in the South-South region.

He outlined that Rivers had 3,736,434 registered voters, followed by Delta State with 3,525,988; Edo, 2,865,263; Akwa Ibom, 2,566,198; Cross River, 1,928,978; and Bayelsa, 1,200,691.

Amupitan notrd that the six states have a total of 15,823,550 registered voters, adding that the electoral would pay closer attention to Rivers because of its electoral significance in the region.

He said: “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. It is your duty to ensure that no voter is disenfranchised because of operational failures.”

Amupitan disclosed that INEC had published the voters’ register online and at designated locations, adding that it had received over 5,000 claims relating to corrections including names and date of birth and more than 600 objections, which were being addressed to ensure a credible voter register ahead of the elections.

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He further announced that the final voters’ register would be released on December 15, saying the commission was committed to resolving all outstanding issues before the deadline.

The INEC chairman, who explained that he had initially considered revalidating the voters’ register upon assuming office, said the idea was dropped following concerns that the exercise would be too close to the general elections.

He also expressed confidence in the commission’s capacity to conduct peaceful, transparent and credible elections, citing lessons learnt from recent off-cycle governorship elections, particularly the Osun State election.

Amupitan noted that the Osun election recorded the highest voter turnout in the history of off-cycle elections in the state and was adjudged locally and internationally as credible despite earlier security concerns.

He said: “Osun State elections gave us the confidence that we can achieve this despite the noise. It is good that we had a series of those elections before the general elections because we learn lessons from every election.”

He added that INEC would use the experience gained from the off-cycle elections to improve its preparations for the 2027 polls, noting that the commission was determined to conduct elections that would advance the country rather than create further challenges.

He said: “We will conduct elections that will move the nation forward and not an election that will bring it down.”

On the issues of security during the elections, Amupitan said the commission was working with security agencies, including the police and the Department of State Services (DSS), to guarantee the safety of voters, electoral personnel, ad hoc staff and election materials.

He said INEC would not encourage Nigerians to collect their Permanent Voter Cards (PVCs) and subsequently fail to guarantee their safety when they turn out to vote.

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He said: “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.”

Amupitan further dismissed the fears that Artificial Intelligence and algorithms could determine the outcome of the 2027 elections, insisting Nigerians would determine outcome of the elections and not AI.

“It is the people of Nigeria that will decide the outcome of the elections and not AI or any algorithms,” he said.

He, however, warned about the growing cybersecurity threats associated with Artificial Intelligence, noting that the commission would explore ways to deploy technology to protect its systems against possible attacks.

Amupitan said INEC was also working to strengthen the security of its digital infrastructure, adding that the commission would not allow anyone to undermine its operations.

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He urged staff of the commission across the South-South to remain committed to their responsibilities, stressing that electoral credibility was determined by the conduct of officials at the polling units and other field locations.