The Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Prof. Joash Amupitan, SAN, has warned that partisan conduct, administrative negligence and ethical breaches will not be tolerated among the Commission’s staff as preparations intensify for the 2027 General Election.
Amupitan issued the warning on Monday, September 28, 2026, in Kaduna while declaring open the North West Zonal Interactive Meeting with Staff and Readiness Assessment for the 2027 General Election.
Addressing Electoral Officers, Heads of Departments and senior administrative staff from the zone, the INEC Chairman said the Commission would strictly enforce its Code of Conduct and hold officials accountable for their actions.
“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.”
Amupitan said the conduct of field officers was critical to the credibility of elections, warning that administrative failures could provide room for false narratives, voter apathy and disinformation to gain traction.
“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 officials of the oath of loyalty and neutrality required under Section 26 of the Electoral Act 2026 for electoral officials and security personnel participating in elections.
He said the oath obliges every officer to administer elections without preference for any 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?’” Amupitan stated.
He also cautioned officials against improvisation and informal shortcuts in election administration, directing them to strictly follow procedures prescribed by the Electoral Act 2026, the Regulations and Guidelines for the Conduct of Elections 2026 and guidelines issued for political parties.
According to him, operational difficulties should be escalated through formal institutional channels rather than resolved through unauthorised measures.
Amupitan stressed that neither a sound legal framework nor modern technology could, on its own, guarantee credible elections.
“The credibility of an election depends on how faithfully the law is implemented by the officials entrusted with its administration,” he said.
Describing INEC staff as the face of the Commission in their communities, the Chairman told the officials: “To the voter in a local ward, INEC is not the Chairman in Abuja; INEC is you.”
He urged them to “know the law, understand your responsibility, remain neutral, document your actions,” stressing that every administrative decision must be capable of withstanding public scrutiny and judicial review.
Amupitan said the Kaduna meeting was part of a six zone Interactive Meetings and Readiness Assessment tour being undertaken by the Commission ahead of the 2027 General Election.
He said the Commission was departing from more than two decades of practice in which zonal preparations were largely coordinated through delegated structures or handled by 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.
The Chairman also recalled the Commission’s performance in recent off cycle elections, particularly the Osun State Governorship Election, and commended staff for their dedication.
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, January 16, 2027, while the Governorship and State Houses of Assembly Elections will hold on Saturday, February 6, 2027.
On staff welfare, Amupitan assured participants that the Commission remained committed to improving their welfare and security.
He said INEC was at an advanced stage of implementing a new salary and welfare package, adding that the Consolidated Election Management Body Salary Structure (CEMBSS) was established with effect from January 1, 2026, moving the Commission’s workforce out of the regular Civil Service structure.
He also said overhead allocations to State Offices were increased by 150 per cent from July 1, 2026.
According to him, the Commission has commenced the procurement and distribution of new operational pick-up vehicles to State Offices and Local Government Areas nationwide to improve staff mobility, security and operational efficiency.
Earlier, the Supervising National Commissioner for Kaduna, Mohammed Kudu Haruna, said the Kaduna meeting was the second stop in the Commission’s six zone tour after Lagos.
He said the engagement was aimed at rallying staff to deliver what he described as the best election in Nigeria’s history.
Haruna also disclosed that the collection of newly printed Permanent Voter Cards (PVCs) would commence early next month.
He said the INEC Chairman had conveyed the planned commencement of PVC collection to the Emir of Zazzau during a courtesy visit 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 enable the Commission’s leadership and management to further strengthen election administration ahead of the 2027 national polls.
The Director of Planning and Monitoring, Helen Ajayi, said the zonal exercise was designed to assess the preparedness of states and identify operational challenges ahead of the elections.
She added that the meetings would also ensure that staff across the zone remained aligned with the Commission’s Code of Conduct.
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 briefed staff on preparations for the 2027 elections.
