2027: Partisanship, Negligence Will Not Be Tolerated- INEC Chairman Warns Staff
The Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Professor Joash Amupitan, SAN, has warned that partisan leaning, administrative negligence and compromised ethics will not be tolerated among the Commission’s staff as preparations intensify for the 2027 General Election.
Prof. Amupitan gave the warning on Monday 28th September, 2026 in Kaduna while declaring open the North-West Zonal Interactive Meeting with Staff and Readiness Assessment for the 2027 General Election.
The INEC Chairman told the gathering of Electoral Officers, Heads of Departments and senior administrative staff from the North-West zone that the Commission would strictly enforce its code of conduct.
“Partisan leaning, administrative negligence, or compromised ethics will not be tolerated,” he said. “Every officer must understand that protecting INEC’s institutional integrity is non-negotiable.”
Prof. Amupitan noted that the conduct of field staff was central to the credibility of any election, stating that false narratives only gain traction when the Commission’s administrative execution falters.
“When a polling unit opens late, when an officer displays nonchalance or perceived bias, or when technical glitches are met with silence, we inadvertently validate the cynics, deepen voter apathy, and fuel disinformation,” he said.
According to him, “the conduct, competence, and character of our staff in the field are either our strongest defense against fake news, or its biggest catalyst.”
The INEC Chairman reminded the officials of the oath of loyalty and neutrality that Section 26 of the Electoral Act 2026 requires of all electoral officials and security personnel taking part in an election. He said the oath commits every officer to administering an election without a preferred candidate or political party.
“The question must never be ‘Who will benefit from this decision?’ but always ‘What does the law require me to do?'” he stated.
He also cautioned staff against improvisation, saying informal shortcuts were dangerous in election administration. Where the law provides a procedure, whether in the Electoral Act 2026, the Regulations and Guidelines for the Conduct of Elections 2026 or the guidelines for political parties, he said officers must follow it strictly.
He directed that where operational difficulties arise, they should be escalated through formal institutional channels.
Prof. Amupitan stressed that a good legal framework and modern technology could not by themselves guarantee electoral credibility. “The credibility of an election depends on how faithfully the law is implemented by the officials entrusted with its administration,” he said.
Addressing the staff directly, he described them as the face of the Commission in their communities. “To the voter in a local ward, INEC is not the Chairman in Abuja; INEC is you,” he said.
He urged the officials to “know the law, understand your responsibility, remain neutral, document your actions,” adding that every administrative decision must withstand public scrutiny and judicial review.
The INEC Chairman said the Kaduna meeting was the continuation of a six-zone Interactive Meetings and Readiness Assessment tour of the federation ahead of the 2027 General Election. He observed that the Commission was breaking with over two decades of practice, in which zonal preparations of this nature were coordinated through delegated structures or handled at the level of National Commissioners and headquarters directorates.
“I am here with you in person, accompanied by National Commissioners and Directors, because I firmly believe that the true success of any election is not decided solely in the meeting rooms of our headquarters in Abuja. It is decided in the field,” he said.
He recalled the Commission’s performance in recent off-cycle elections, particularly the Osun State Governorship Election, and credited the outcome to the dedication of staff. He however cautioned that “the praise of yesterday raises the expectations of tomorrow,” noting that the 2027 elections would be a simultaneous national exercise across the 36 states and the Federal Capital Territory.
The Presidential and National Assembly Elections are scheduled for Saturday, 16th January 2027, while the Governorship and State Houses of Assembly Elections will hold on Saturday, 6th February 2027.
On staff welfare, Professor Amupitan assured participants of the Commission’s commitment to their welfare and security. He said the Commission was at an advanced stage of implementing a new salary and welfare package, and that effective 1st January 2026 it established the Consolidated Election Management Body Salary Structure (CEMBSS), which moved its workforce out of the regular Civil Service structure. He added that from 1st July 2026, overheads to State Offices were increased by 150 per cent.
He further announced that the Commission had commenced the procurement and distribution of new operational pick-up vehicles, which are being dispatched to State Offices and Local Government Areas nationwide to boost the mobility, security and operational efficiency of staff.
Earlier in his welcome address, the Supervising National Commissioner for Kaduna, Mohammed Kudu Haruna, said the Kaduna meeting was the second in the six-zone tour after Lagos, and was designed to rally staff to deliver the best election in Nigeria’s history.
Commissioner Haruna disclosed that collection of new Permanent Voter Cards (PVCs) would commence early next month, this he said the INEC Chairman informed the Emir of Zazzau during his courtesy visit to the monarch that collection of newly printed Permanent Voter Cards would commence as scheduled and appealed to traditional rulers to encourage eligible citizens to collect their cards and exercise their constitutional right to vote.
He expressed confidence that the Kaduna engagement would help the leadership and management of the Commission to further strengthen election administration ahead of the 2027 national polls.
Director of Planning and Monitoring, Helen Ajayi, said the purpose of the zonal exercise was to assess the level of preparedness of states and identify operational challenges before the elections.
She added that the sessions were also aimed at ensuring that staff across the zone remained aligned with the Commission’s Code of Conduct ahead of the elections.
Directors and representatives from the Voter Education and Publicity, Voter Registry, ICT, Human Resources and Election and Operations departments also made presentations on their respective areas of responsibility and what staff needed to know in preparation for the 2027 elections.
