The Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Joash Amupitan, has warned that Nigerians should not expect a flawless general election in 2027, even though the commission is fully prepared to transmit results electronically.
Speaking at a live town hall programme on Sunday, March 1, 2026, Amupitan appealed to citizens to manage their expectations.
“Let me just appeal to Nigerians. What many people desire is a perfect election. INEC will strive as much as possible to give this country the best election. However, we may not be able to achieve a 100 per cent perfect election for now,” he said.
He assured the public that the commission has the capacity to transmit results electronically, stressing that the main challenge is not the act of transmission itself but real-time delivery in certain areas.
“As far as electronic transmission of results is concerned, we have the capacity to transmit the results, and we are going to transmit the results. The only concern was real time,” he stated.
The INEC boss described elections as central to democracy and emphasised the need for voter awareness and transparency.
“Election is the lifeblood of democracy. The ballot is more powerful than the bullet. The ignorance of a voter is very harmful to the security of a nation,” he added.
Amupitan explained that INEC played an active role in shaping the Electoral Act 2026 and pushed for stronger provisions during consultations with lawmakers and stakeholders.
“Even talking about the transmission of results, the original provision was not exactly what we have today. When INEC came in, we insisted that transmission should be mandatory. The only problem we had was how to define real time,” he said.
Citing the recent FCT Area Council election, he noted that poor terrain and limited network coverage delayed results from one ward until the following day.
“I don’t see transmission as the real problem. From my experience so far, the issue is the adequacy of the network. In some places, it was impossible to have real-time transmission,” he explained.
He also highlighted the importance of logistics in determining the success of any election.
“Your election can only be as good as your logistics. Where there is logistic failure, you are already beginning to fail,” Amupitan warned.
Despite the challenges, he expressed confidence that the 2027 elections would show significant improvement.
“I want to assure Nigerians that the 2027 election will be the best we have had. People are more aware now, and they demand transparency. When people trust the process and their leaders, the country will move forward,” he said.
Meanwhile, INEC has commenced a review of its guidelines for political parties to align them with the Electoral Act 2026. The commission said the move is aimed at strengthening compliance, reducing disputes and enhancing public confidence ahead of the 2027 general election.
