Amupitan Says INEC Is Prepared for Successful 2027 General Elections
The National Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Prof. Joash Amupitan (SAN), says INEC is prepared to conduct a free, fair and credible polls come 2027 General Elections.
Amupitan said this on Tuesday in Enugu during the Readiness Assessment for 2027 General Elections Meeting with the Commission’s Staff in South-East.
He noted that the commission in his watch had followed a strict time-line and check-list within its ongoing preparation period.
“We are on track and moving ahead with most of the check-list boxes thick as done.
“We have got our non sensitive materials ready and distributed while we are advancing on awarding contracts for sensitive materials.
“The commission is getting more vehicular logistics for seamless movement of personnel and materials.
“Massive training and retraining have commenced especially on the new guidelines and regulations introduced into the Amended Electoral Act,” he said.
He said that the commission’s ICT had been upgraded and its security further tightened.
The chairman noted that the commission had set-up committees with various governmental agencies, commissions and bodies to provide specialised services and back up to ensure a successful polls.
Earlier, the INEC Resident Electoral Commissioner (REC) in Enugu State, Dr Chukwuemeka Chukwu, noted that Enugu State consist of 17 Local Government Areas, 260 Registration Areas and 4,145 Polling Units.
Chukwu said that these figures provided an indication of the scale of electoral operations within the state and underscored the importance of sustained planning and coordination.
“Managing electoral activities across such a broad operational structure requires adequate personnel, logistics, technology, infrastructure and security arrangements, as well as continuous engagement with stakeholders at the grassroots.
“The experience of the commission has shown that every component of the electoral process is interconnected.
“Our preparedness at the Local Government, Registration Area and Polling Unit levels must therefore be properly coordinated with our zonal and national planning.
“We must continue to strengthen our systems, improve our processes and ensure that every officer understands his or her responsibility towards the successful delivery of the 2027 General Elections,” Chukwu said.
The assessment featured presentations from various departments in INEC on their readiness for the polls and new innovations introduced by the various departments to allow for a seamless electoral operations.
Representatives of the five states in South-East, which include Abia, Anambra, Ebonyi, Enugu and Imo States, made presentations on their various state’s readiness and challenges ahead of the 2027 General Elections.
Two challenges facing the states are the need for adequate training and retraining of staff as well as some isolated cases of insecurity.
