The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has stepped up preparations for the 2027 general elections, with its Chairman, Professor Joash O. Amupitan, directing Administrative Secretaries across the 36 states and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) to close operational gaps and adopt uniform procedures.
Amupitan gave the directive on Monday in Lagos while declaring open a two-day Strategic Operational Workshop organised for INEC Administrative Secretaries.
The workshop is aimed at strengthening the Commission’s preparedness and ensuring that its state-level operations are coordinated ahead of the 2027 polls.
The INEC chairman warned that the Commission could not afford inconsistent interpretations of administrative responsibilities or different operational practices across states as preparations for the nationwide elections intensify.
According to him, lessons from recent off-cycle elections, particularly the Osun State governorship election, must be transformed into operational standards that can be applied nationwide.
He noted that effective logistics, functional technology and administrative discipline had played important roles in recent electoral exercises. However, he stressed that organising an election across all 36 states and the FCT would present a significantly greater challenge than conducting a single-state election.
Administrative Secretaries Given Key Role
Amupitan described Administrative Secretaries as critical technical, operational and administrative anchors of INEC’s state offices.
He explained that while Resident Electoral Commissioners provide leadership at the state level, Administrative Secretaries are responsible for the day-to-day administration of INEC offices, maintaining continuity and coordinating several processes required for smooth election operations.
The chairman urged the officials to ensure that polling and other electoral activities are not disrupted by avoidable administrative failures.
Lagos State Resident Electoral Commissioner, Professor Ayobami Salami, also called on the participants to use the workshop to examine existing procedures, identify weaknesses and develop practical solutions ahead of the 2027 elections.
Five Areas of Focus
INEC said the workshop would focus on five major areas considered crucial to the successful conduct of the 2027 elections.
These include Continuous Voter Registration and Permanent Voter Card distribution, logistics and election-material management, electoral technology, human-resource management and general administration and financial compliance.
The Commission is also expected to strengthen officials’ knowledge of key electoral technologies, including the Bimodal Voter Accreditation System (BVAS) and the INEC Results Viewing Portal (IReV).
Human-resource preparations will focus particularly on the recruitment, screening and training of ad-hoc election personnel, while financial and administrative processes will be reviewed to improve compliance and accountability.
INEC Introduces Operational Monitoring Tracker
A major feature of the new strategy is the proposed Administrative Secretary Master Operational Tracker.
The standardised digital tracker is expected to provide INEC headquarters with real-time information about the level of preparedness across state offices.
The system will be connected to the Commission’s Election Monitoring and Support Centre and will monitor areas such as election-material distribution, ad-hoc staff training and general readiness.
According to INEC, the initiative is designed to help the Commission identify potential problems early rather than waiting for operational crises to emerge.
Amupitan Warns Against Shortcuts
The INEC chairman also challenged Administrative Secretaries to establish a culture of discipline, transparency and neutrality within their offices.
He warned that tolerating shortcuts could encourage further breaches, while allowing political interference could undermine the neutrality expected of electoral officials.
Amupitan further urged the officials to report operational challenges promptly instead of concealing them, stressing that early intervention could prevent minor problems from becoming major electoral setbacks.
Meanwhile, the Secretary to the Commission, Dr Rose Oriaran-Anthony, identified cooperation between Administrative Secretaries and Resident Electoral Commissioners as another important issue.
She warned that disagreements between the two levels of leadership could affect the Commission’s effectiveness and urged officials to openly address institutional challenges.
With preparations for the 2027 elections gathering momentum, INEC says the objective is to ensure that its state-level structures are properly coordinated, equipped and ready to deliver the elections under a unified operational framework.
