INEC Under Pressure As Reps Demand Full Briefing On 2027 Election Readiness

The House of Representatives has summoned the Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Professor Joash Amupitan, to brief its Committee on Electoral Matters on preparations for the 2027 general elections amid concerns over operational challenges, insecurity and the possible disenfranchisement of eligible voters.

According to Bush Radio Academy, the lawmakers directed Amupitan to appear before the committee within seven legislative days to provide a comprehensive update on the commission’s readiness for the forthcoming elections.

The resolution followed the adoption of a motion jointly sponsored by the Minority Whip, Mansur Soro, and Deputy Minority Leader, Abdussamad Dasuki, during Wednesday’s plenary session.

INEC has scheduled the presidential and National Assembly elections for January 16, 2027, while the governorship and state House of Assembly elections are slated for February 6, 2027.

Under the resolution, the House Committee on Electoral Matters is expected to examine the commission’s preparations across several critical areas, including Continuous Voter Registration, Permanent Voter Card production and distribution, election logistics, technological deployment and security arrangements.

The committee will also assess INEC’s plans for deploying the Bimodal Voter Accreditation System (BVAS) and the INEC Result Viewing Portal to support voter accreditation and the electronic viewing of election results.

Additionally, lawmakers want the commission to provide details of its recruitment and training of electoral personnel, voter education programmes and strategies for addressing operational difficulties that could affect the smooth conduct of the elections.

The committee has also been directed to scrutinise INEC’s budgetary allocations, funds released so far, outstanding payments and potential funding gaps that could undermine the implementation of the electoral timetable.

Lawmakers further requested an assessment of lessons learned from the recent governorship elections in Ekiti and Osun states, particularly regarding logistics, technology deployment, security coordination, stakeholder engagement and voter participation.

While presenting the motion, Soro expressed concern over challenges reported at Continuous Voter Registration centres across the country. These include shortages of registration equipment, inadequate personnel, network failures and prolonged waiting times for citizens seeking to register or update their voter details.

He warned that such difficulties could prevent eligible Nigerians from participating in the electoral process, particularly first-time voters, rural residents, students, workers and persons with disabilities.

Soro stressed that the credibility, transparency and public acceptance of the 2027 elections would depend significantly on INEC’s preparedness in voter registration, public education, logistics, personnel training, technology deployment, security coordination and funding.

He also referenced relevant provisions of the 1999 Constitution, as amended, and the Electoral Act 2026, which establish the commission’s responsibility for organising, conducting and supervising elections.

Contributing to the debate, Dasuki said the motion was intended to address concerns about the ability of eligible voters, especially those living in areas affected by insecurity, to exercise their constitutional right to vote.

However, Deputy Speaker Benjamin Kalu opposed the proposal to invite Amupitan before the entire House, arguing that the responsibility should be handled by the standing committee specifically mandated to oversee electoral matters.

Kalu maintained that allowing the committee to conduct the briefing would preserve its oversight responsibilities and enable lawmakers with specialised knowledge of electoral issues to examine the commission’s preparations thoroughly.