The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) Chairman, Joash Amupitan, has called on the electoral body’s employees to maintain the highest standards of professionalism, transparency, and integrity in the performance of their duties as the 2027 general election preparations start to take shape.
According to a release from the INEC Media Team, headed by Victoria Eta-Messi, Amupitan made the announcement on Friday while visiting the Commission’s state office in Uyo, Akwa Ibom State, where he spoke with employees and examined a few voter registration locations in Ikot Ekpene.
As part of the early planning for the 2027 elections, the Commission held a technical workshop in Ikot Ekpene Local Government Area at the same time as the visit to examine important facets of electoral administration.
During the visit, the INEC chairman addressed the workers, reminding them that Nigerians have high expectations for the Commission’s ability to conduct credible elections.
“Credible, free, and fair elections are what Nigerians expect from the Commission,” stated Amupitan. “Every employee has an obligation to maintain professionalism, openness, and integrity at all times as a result of this expectation.”
He clarified that in order to improve the electoral process before the upcoming general election, the Commission has already started internal evaluations and technical engagements.
“You make the future if you want to predict it,” he declared. “We are starting to design what the 2027 election should look like, including this retreat.”
Amupitan also emphasized the significance of preserving the voter register’s integrity, pointing out that the current voter revalidation process was intended to get rid of duplicate registrations and remove the names of people who have passed away from the database.
He said that the Commission would keep working with pertinent national data agencies, such as the National Identity Management Commission and the National Population Commission, to ensure that only eligible citizens are registered to vote and to increase the accuracy of population data.
The chairman of INEC further reassured employees that the Commission was still dedicated to enhancing their well-being and professional advancement.
Given the technical nature of election management and the dangers involved, he revealed that attempts were being made to create a specialized professional cadre for INEC staff.
Amupitan also reaffirmed INEC’s commitment to enhancing working conditions and retirement benefits for its employees while congratulating employees who were recently promoted during the Commission’s most recent promotion exercise.
Speaking on election technology, the chairman asked employees to make sure that all of the Commission’s electoral innovations, such as the Bimodal Voter Accreditation System (BVAS), continue to be fully operational and prepared for use in upcoming elections.
He reminded them that the commitment and expertise of the Commission’s staff play a major role in the legitimacy of elections and public trust in Nigeria’s democracy.
The chairman’s visit offered a chance for direct interaction with employees in charge of carrying out the Commission’s mandate in the state, according to Obo Effanga, the Resident Electoral Commissioner for Akwa Ibom State, who made this statement earlier.
Effanga pointed out that even though the Commission was in Ikot Ekpene for a technical workshop, the visit to the state office in Uyo gave the INEC chairman a chance to speak with staff members and see firsthand what the state’s employees were doing.
National commissioners May Agbamuche-Mbu, Rhoda Gumus, and A. T. Yusuf, as well as the Resident Electoral Commissioner and several technical assistants, accompanied Amupitan on the visit.
One
