2027: No Eligible Voter Should Be Left Behind — INEC

The Independent National Electoral Commission has reaffirmed its commitment to ensuring that no eligible Nigerian is left behind in the 2027 general elections.

INEC Chairman, Prof. Joash Amupitan, made the commitment as the commission intensified preparations for the elections and stepped up efforts to promote voter participation across the country.

The commission said its priority was to ensure that the electoral process remained credible, inclusive and accessible to eligible Nigerians, regardless of gender, location or other circumstances that could affect participation.

INEC’s position was reinforced during a joint implementation meeting involving its Voter Education and Publicity and Gender and Inclusivity departments.

The meeting focused on coordinated voter mobilisation and strategies to ensure that eligible citizens are adequately informed about the electoral process.

The commission said voter education would remain central to its preparations, with efforts directed towards reaching communities and groups that could face barriers to participation.

Amupitan had earlier stressed that a credible voters’ register remained fundamental to the conduct of transparent elections. INEC has since completed three phases of the Continuous Voter Registration exercise conducted between August 2025 and July 2026.

The exercise added more than 10.7 million new registrations, taking the national register to 103,428,715 registered voters, according to figures presented by the commission.

INEC also said it had completed the Automated Biometric Identification System cleaning process and would continue working to ensure that the register contains only eligible voters.

PVC collection is scheduled to begin on October 9, while the commission has also announced a public display of the register to allow citizens to verify their details and raise objections where necessary.

The 2027 presidential and National Assembly elections are scheduled for February 20, while governorship and State House of Assembly elections are scheduled for March 6.

INEC has urged political parties, civil society organisations, the media and citizens to play their respective roles in promoting peaceful and inclusive participation.

The commission said the success of the elections would depend not only on INEC but also on the collective responsibility of stakeholders to protect the electoral process and encourage eligible Nigerians to exercise their civic rights.