The Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Prof. Joash Amupitan, has warned staff against partisanship, administrative negligence and ethical misconduct as the Commission intensifies preparations for the 2027 General Election.
Amupitan gave the warning on Monday, Sept. 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.
“Partisan leaning, administrative negligence, or compromised ethics will not be tolerated. Every officer must understand that protecting INEC’s institutional integrity is non-negotiable,” he said.
He stressed that the conduct of field officials was central to electoral credibility, warning that administrative lapses could undermine public confidence and provide room for misinformation.
“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 electoral officials could either serve as the Commission’s strongest defence against fake news or contribute to its spread.
Amupitan reminded the 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 required every officer to administer elections without favouring 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?” he stated.
The chairman also cautioned staff against improvisation and informal shortcuts in election administration, insisting that officials must strictly comply with procedures prescribed by the Electoral Act 2026, the Regulations and Guidelines for the Conduct of Elections 2026 and the guidelines for political parties.
He directed that operational challenges be referred through established institutional channels.
Amupitan said a sound legal framework and modern technology alone could not guarantee credible elections, stressing that electoral integrity depended on the faithful implementation of the law by officials.
“The credibility of an election depends on how faithfully the law is implemented by the officials entrusted with its administration,” he said.
Describing electoral officers as the face of INEC in their communities, he said voters judged the Commission largely through the conduct of its field personnel.
“To the voter in a local ward, INEC is not the Chairman in Abuja; INEC is you,” he said.
He urged the officials to understand the law, remain neutral, discharge their responsibilities diligently and document their actions, adding that every administrative decision must withstand public scrutiny and judicial review.
The INEC chairman said the Kaduna engagement formed part of a six-zone interactive meeting and readiness assessment tour ahead of the 2027 General Election.
He said the Commission was departing from more than two decades of practice by personally coordinating the zonal engagements, which had previously been handled through delegated structures, National Commissioners or 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.
Amupitan recalled the Commission’s performance in recent off-cycle elections, particularly the Osun State Governorship Election, and commended staff for their dedication.
He, however, warned that past achievements had raised expectations for the 2027 polls, which would involve simultaneous nationwide elections across the 36 states and the Federal Capital Territory.
The Presidential and National Assembly elections are scheduled for Saturday, Jan. 16, 2027, while the Governorship and State Houses of Assembly elections will hold on Saturday, Feb. 6, 2027.
On staff welfare, Amupitan reaffirmed the Commission’s commitment to the welfare and security of its workforce.
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) took effect on Jan. 1, 2026, moving staff out of the regular Civil Service structure.
He also disclosed that overhead allocations to state offices had been increased by 150 per cent from July 1, 2026.
The chairman further announced that the Commission had begun procuring and distributing 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 meeting was the second in the six-zone tour, following the engagement in Lagos.
Haruna said the exercise was designed to mobilise staff towards delivering what he described as the best election in Nigeria’s history.
He disclosed that the collection of newly printed Permanent Voter Cards (PVCs) would begin early in October.
According to him, Amupitan had informed the Emir of Zazzau during a courtesy visit that the collection would commence as scheduled.
Haruna appealed to traditional rulers to encourage eligible citizens to collect their PVCs and exercise their constitutional right to vote.
He expressed confidence that the Kaduna meeting would enable the Commission’s leadership and management to strengthen election administration ahead of the 2027 polls.
The Director of Planning and Monitoring, Helen Ajayi, said the zonal exercise was intended to assess the preparedness of states and identify operational challenges before 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, Information and Communication Technology, Human Resources, and Election and Operations departments also presented their respective areas of responsibility and outlined issues staff needed to understand ahead of the 2027 elections.
