The Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission, Professor Joash Amupitan, has urged the commission’s field officers to step up preparations for the 2027 general elections.
Amupitan spoke on Monday in Lagos at INEC’s Southwest Zonal Interaction Meeting and Readiness Assessment.
He told Electoral Officers and Heads of Department in the zone to approach the 2027 elections with greater commitment, discipline and preparedness.
According to him, the election is already here, and INEC must be ready to confront its challenges “frontally.”
Amupitan said recent off cycle elections, including the Anambra governorship, FCT Area Council and Osun governorship polls, had provided valuable lessons for the commission.
He said INEC must use those experiences to identify weaknesses, improve its processes and strengthen its capacity ahead of the nationwide election.
“Those off cycle elections have provided us with the mirror through which we can see into the 2027 elections,” he said.
The INEC chairman said he chose to meet directly with field officials because the success of an election depends largely on what happens at the grassroots.
“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,” Amupitan said.
He asked the officials to speak openly about their challenges, identify operational gaps and suggest practical solutions before the elections.
The Lagos State Resident Electoral Commissioner, Professor Ayobami Salami, also stressed the importance of early preparation.
Salami said credible elections are built long before Election Day through proper coordination, competent personnel and continuous assessment.
The meeting in Lagos is the first of six zonal engagements planned by INEC as it steps up preparations for the 2027 general elections.
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