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The Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Professor Joash Amupitan, has firmly dismissed rumors suggesting a potential postponement of the 2027 general elections, reassuring the public that the commission has no plans to alter the established election timetable.
Speaking on Saturday during an interactive readiness assessment meeting with INEC staff and Resident Electoral Commissioners from the six South-South states in Port Harcourt, Rivers State, Amupitan emphasized that electoral preparations remain on track.
Addressing mounting speculation from several political parties regarding possible delays, the INEC chief insisted that the commission’s statutory schedules are binding and will be strictly executed.
“Our statutory timeline is fixed. We will not change anything. The election must hold as scheduled,” the INEC boss declared.
Amupitan revealed that the commission will allocate enhanced operational focus to Rivers State ahead of the polls, citing its strategic political weight and status as the largest voting bloc within the South-South geopolitical zone.
According to official figures presented by the chairman, Rivers leads the region with 3,736,434 registered voters, followed by Delta with 3,525,988; Edo with 2,865,263; Akwa Ibom with 2,566,198; Cross River with 1,928,978; and Bayelsa with 1,200,691, bringing the zone’s total voter base to 15,823,550.
“With the 3,736,434 registered voters for Rivers State, the state leads the South-South. By this, the commission will put more attention to what happens in Rivers State. It is your duty to ensure that no voter is disenfranchised because of operational failures,” Amupitan instructed election officials.
Highlighting ongoing voter register cleanup efforts, Amupitan disclosed that following the online and physical publication of the register, INEC received over 5,000 claims for corrections alongside 600 formal objections, all of which are currently being resolved ahead of the final register release scheduled for December 15.
He noted that while the executive leadership initially considered a complete revalidation of the voter register upon assuming office, the proposal was shelved to prevent logistical friction so close to the general election window.
Reflecting on recent off-cycle gubernatorial elections—particularly in Osun State—Amupitan expressed full confidence in the agency’s operational readiness, citing record turnout and international acclaim achieved during those exercises despite heightened security concerns.
“Osun State elections gave us the confidence that we can achieve this despite the noise. It is good that we had a series of those elections before the general elections because we learn lessons from every election,” he stated.
“We will conduct elections that will move the nation forward and not an election that will bring it down,” the chairman added.
On security logistics, Amupitan confirmed joint planning with the Nigeria Police Force and the Department of State Services (DSS) to guarantee absolute protection for voters, ad-hoc personnel, and sensitive materials across all polling locations.
“We want every part of Nigeria to be calm during the elections so that people can come out to vote. We will not tell them to take their PVCs and then will not guarantee their safety,” he stated.
Addressing technological concerns surrounding election integrity, the INEC chairman explicitly rejected theories that emerging digital tools or predictive algorithms could manipulate voting outcomes.
“It is the people of Nigeria that will decide the outcome of the elections and not AI or any algorithms,” Amupitan emphasized, while clarifying that the commission is actively fortifying its digital architecture against external cybersecurity threats.
Concluding his address, the INEC chief warned permanent staff, ad-hoc workers, and participating National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) members that any act of compromise or electoral malpractice will attract severe legal prosecution.
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