The Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Prof. Joash O. Amupitan, SAN, has charged Electoral Officers (EOs), Heads of Department (HODs) and other officials in the Southwest to confront the challenges of the 2027 General Election with greater commitment, discipline and preparedness.
Amupitan gave the charge in Lagos at the opening of INEC’s Southwest Zonal Interaction Meeting and Readiness Assessment, held at the Radisson Blu Hotel, Ikeja.
The meeting marked the first leg of a six-zone national tour designed to assess the Commission’s operational readiness ahead of the 2027 elections.
The Presidential and National Assembly elections are scheduled for January 16, 2027, while the Governorship and State Houses of Assembly elections will hold on February 6, 2027.
Addressing Electoral Officers, Heads of Department, senior administrative staff and other officials from the six Southwest states, Amupitan declared that “the 2027 General Election is here”, stressing that the Commission must confront the election “frontally”.
He said lessons from recently concluded off-cycle elections, including the Anambra State Governorship Election, FCT Area Council Election and Osun State Governorship Election, must be carefully examined and applied to preparations for the 2027 polls.
“Those off-cycle elections have provided us with the mirror through which we can see into the 2027 elections,” the INEC chairman said.
Amupitan explained that his decision to personally engage field-level officials was deliberate, noting that the success or failure of an election was ultimately determined by what happens at the operational level.
“The true success of any election is not decided solely in the meeting rooms of our headquarters in Abuja. It is indeed decided in the field,” he said.
He urged the officials to use the interaction to highlight operational challenges, identify gaps and recommend practical solutions that could strengthen the Commission’s preparations for the 2027 elections.
The INEC chairman stressed the importance of continuous learning and improvement, saying challenges encountered during one election should provide lessons for improving subsequent electoral processes.
He also commended INEC officials who participated in the recent Osun State Governorship Election, saying the commendations received by the Commission belonged largely to personnel who worked throughout the electoral process to protect the integrity of the ballot and ensure that votes counted.
Earlier, the INEC Resident Electoral Commissioner (REC) for Lagos State, Prof. Ayobami Salami, welcomed the chairman and participants to the state.
Salami said electoral credibility was built long before Election Day through early preparation, effective coordination, competent personnel and continuous assessment.
He urged the readiness assessment to go beyond routine checklists and examine critical areas including human resources, logistics, infrastructure, technology, electoral materials, security arrangements and stakeholder engagement.
The Lagos REC also called on Electoral Officers and Heads of Department across the Southwest to speak frankly about their operational realities, identify weaknesses early and share best practices capable of strengthening the Commission’s preparations.
The Lagos meeting is the first of a series of zonal engagements planned by INEC as the Commission intensifies its preparations for the 2027 General Election.
