The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has officially kicked off the 100-day countdown to the 2027 General Election, reassuring the country and international observers of its readiness.
In this piece, key highlights from the INEC World Press Conference by 9japarrot detailed 10 things Nigerians need to know about the final preparations for the polls:
Commitment to Neutrality and Ballot Integrity: Chairman Prof. Joash Amupitan, SAN, assured Nigerians and the global community of the commission’s absolute commitment to operational excellence, neutrality, and ballot integrity as preparations shift from planning to execution.
2.
Key Election Dates: The 2027 General Election will take place across two separate voting days—Saturday, 16th January, and Saturday, 6th February 2027.
3.
Expanded Voter Register to 103 Million: Following the registration of over 10.7 million new voters across the Continuous Voter Registration phases, Nigeria’s official voter register now stands at 103 million citizens.
4.
Massive Recruitment Drive: INEC requires 707,384 ad hoc personnel for each election day, totaling 1.41 million engagements across 176,846 polling units; applications on the INECPRES portal close on 18th November 2026.
5.
Upgraded BVAS and Tech Stress-Testing: Production is underway for 57,000 new BVAS devices, with a six-day nationwide stress-testing scheduled for 23rd–28th October 2026, followed by a mock accreditation exercise in November.
6.
Creation of an AI Division: The commission has set up a dedicated Artificial Intelligence Division within its ICT Department under strict human oversight to help manage operational tech and combat deepfakes or disinformation.
7.
Tight Logistics and Early Poll Opening: Logistics partnerships will deploy over 100,000 vehicles and 4,000 boats; sensitive materials will move to LGAs 72 hours early so polling units can open nationwide by 7:30 am.
8.
Crackdown on Vote-Buying: Joint surveillance teams from the EFCC, ICPC, and NFIU will operate alongside security agencies to track vote-buying, with offenders facing immediate arrest and prosecution under the Electoral Act 2026.
9.
Candidate Lists and Political Party Participation: Out of 22 registered parties, 18 have submitted 36 presidential and vice-presidential candidates, with the final list for Governorship and State Assembly races set for publication on 10th October 2026.
10.
International Oversight and Media Accreditation: The European Union confirmed it will deploy an expert election observation mission, while INEC announced its portal for media accreditation will open before the end of October 2026.