In spite of the National Assembly’s delay in passing the amended Electoral Act,the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has assured Nigerians of its full readiness for the 2027 general elections.
Speaking at the Commission’s first quarterly consultative meeting with Civil Society Organizations (CSOs) in Abuja on Wednesday, INEC Chairman Prof. Joash Amupitan confirmed that the agency is moving forward with its plans.
According to Amupitan, the Commission has already finalized the election timetable and schedule of activities, operating under the legal framework of the current Electoral Act to ensure there are no logistical gaps.
“While we have made our submissions to the National Assembly, the passage of the amendment may have implications for certain items in our timetable.
“However, for now, the Commission has no choice but to operate within the framework of the subsisting Electoral Act,” he said.
The INEC chairman urged CSOs to mobilise residents of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) to collect their Permanent Voter Cards (PVCs) ahead of the Area Council elections on February 21, 2026.
“The ongoing PVC distribution in the FCT will end on 10th February 2026, and we do not want anyone to be disenfranchised. As partners, we urge you to help mobilise FCT residents to go out and collect their PVCs,” Amupitan said.
Amupitan also called on CSOs to monitor political parties’ conduct during campaigns and promote peaceful participation.
“Let’s work together to monitor the activities of the political parties, especially their campaigns and general conduct in the election.
“Let’s sensitise the public, particularly party members, to refrain from hate speech, vote buying, misinformation, disinformation and violence, and to conduct their activities strictly within the framework of the law,” he also said.
The FCT Area Council elections will involve 1,680,315 registered voters across 2,822 polling units in six Area Councils.
A total of 570 candidates will contest chairmanship, vice-chairmanship, and councillorship positions.
INEC has delivered non-sensitive materials to Area Council offices, completed recruitment and training of ad hoc staff, and is configuring BVAS devices for accreditation and result upload.
Sensitive materials will be delivered a day before the polls.
A mock accreditation exercise is scheduled for February 7, 2026, in 289 selected polling units across the six Area Councils.
Eighty-three domestic and five foreign observer groups have been accredited to monitor the FCT elections.
The National Assembly is considering amendments to the Electoral Act, including holding all elections in one day and mandatory electronic transmission of results.
Persecondnews reports that the delay in passing the amended Act has raised concerns about the smooth conduct of the 2027 elections.
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