The 2027 election will be the best Nigeria has ever had – INEC chairman assures Nigerians

The 2027 election will be the best Nigeria has ever had – INEC chairman assures Nigerians

The chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Professor Joash Amupitan, has assured Nigerians that the technical glitches experienced during the 2023 presidential election would not reoccur in 2027.

Amupitan gave the assurance while speaking at the Citizens’ Townhall on the Electoral Act 2026. According to him, next year’s general election will be the best in the history of the country.

The electoral body lst Friday announced that the presidential and National Assembly elections would hold on Saturday, January 16, 2027, while the governorship and state Houses of Assembly Elections would now hold on Saturday, February 6, 2027.

The commission had earlier fixed the presidential and National Assembly elections for February 20, 2027, and the governorship and state Houses of Assembly elections for March 6, 2027, before it changed the dates in line with the 2026 Electoral Act.

While speaking at the town hall meeting, Amupitan revealed that as part of efforts to test its result-transmission infrastructure and prevent a repeat of past technical setbacks, the commission would conduct a mock presidential exercise ahead of the 2027 general election.

“Election anywhere in the world is now about technology, but before deploying any technology, it is important to test it thoroughly.

“So, my own audit of the 2023 election, while the BVAS was tested within the states for the Osun election, Ekiti election, however, when it came to the federal election, especially the presidential election, which became inter-state, it was not properly tested.

One of the things we are trying to do before the election is to have a mock presidential election, so that we are sure that this transmission across the state must not fail.

The glitch is eliminated. By God’s grace, it will not surface in Nigeria. By the grace of God, the 2027 election will be the best Nigeria has ever had. The electorate of 2027 is more aware and understands the direct correlation between elections and national development.

We want a process that guarantees the legitimacy and confidence people want to see in their system. When people trust INEC and their leaders, the country will move forward.”

Amupitan acknowledged that while perfection might be difficult to attain, the commission was working to deliver significant improvements.

 “We will try to give Nigerians a near-perfect election. Credible elections remain the lifeblood of democracy” he said