The Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Prof. Joash Amupitan (SAN), on Friday said global attention is already fixed on Nigeria’s 2027 general elections, urging staff of the commission to uphold the highest standards of professionalism and integrity to ensure a credible electoral process.
Speaking during an official working visit and interactive session with INEC management and staff at the commission’s Niger State headquarters in Minna, Amupitan warned that the commission could not afford to disappoint Nigerians or the international community.
He said election management bodies across Africa and international election observers were already looking forward to monitoring Nigeria’s next general elections, making it imperative for INEC officials to conduct themselves responsibly.
“You are our ambassadors and you cannot afford to fail. The whole world, not just Nigerians, is looking up to INEC,” he said.
Amupitan disclosed that he recently attended a meeting of the African Union involving Electoral Management Bodies (EMBs) across the continent, where participants expressed interest in observing Nigeria’s elections.
“I just returned from an African Union meeting in Egypt involving all the EMBs in Africa, and everyone expressed their desire to come and monitor Nigeria’s elections. So, the whole world is watching us. We must conduct the election in a highly professional manner,” Amupitan said.
The INEC chairman cautioned staff against any form of compromise, stressing that lessons from previous elections must guide preparations for the 2027 polls.
According to him, the commission is determined not to repeat past shortcomings and has begun improving logistics, transportation and infrastructure across its state offices to support a more efficient electoral process.
“We do not want to repeat the mistakes of the past. My goal is to ensure that we improve on our performance continuously,” he said.
Amupitan, who assumed office about nine months ago, reiterated his commitment to restoring public confidence in the electoral body by delivering free, fair and credible elections.
He said the commission’s vision of building a revitalised and trusted INEC would depend largely on the dedication, discipline and integrity of its personnel across the country.
Amupitan announced that the commission would introduce a system to reward outstanding performance while imposing strict sanctions on staff found guilty of administrative misconduct.
“There should be no compromise whatsoever. We have decided to introduce rewards for hard work, but if there is any misconduct, there will be serious consequences.
“Work hard, work selflessly, shun corruption and let us give the Nigerian people what they truly desire,” he charged.
On staff welfare, Amupitan disclosed that the commission had commenced a comprehensive review of employees’ welfare packages nationwide to improve morale and productivity.
He noted that one of the major issues he identified on assumption of office was the poor welfare of INEC personnel compared with other public institutions.
“We play a pivotal role in ensuring that Nigeria moves into the comity of developed nations. This can only happen if our political system is stable, and that stability depends largely on our independence and performance as an electoral body.
“When I assumed office, I discovered that the welfare package for INEC staff was among the lowest in the country. To boost your morale, the commission decided to take this issue head-on. When the results begin to manifest, you will appreciate our commitment,” he assured.
As part of the visit, Amupitan also inspected the ongoing Continuous Voter Registration (CVR) exercise at a registration centre located within the commission’s headquarters in Minna.
