By Aaron Ossai
The House of Representatives has directed the Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Prof. Joash Amupitan, to brief its Committee on Electoral Matters on the commission’s preparedness for the 2027 general elections within seven legislative days.
The briefing is expected to cover the status of Continuous Voter Registration (CVR), Permanent Voter Cards (PVCs) management, election logistics, deployment of technology, personnel training, electoral security, risk assessment strategies and budget implementation.
The resolution followed a motion sponsored by the Deputy Minority Leader of the House, who initially proposed that Amupitan appear before the entire House to explain INEC’s level of preparedness for the elections.
However, the Deputy Speaker argued that the commission had already briefed the public on its preparations at several fora, making it unnecessary for the chairman to address the whole House.
He subsequently proposed that the briefing be conducted at the committee level, a position that informed the resolution.
The directive comes as INEC intensifies preparations for the 2027 general elections following a review of the timetable and schedule of activities in line with the provisions of the Electoral Act, 2026.
The commission had initially scheduled the presidential and National Assembly elections for Saturday, February 20, 2027, while the governorship and State Houses of Assembly elections were fixed for Saturday, March 6, 2027.
However, following the repeal of the Electoral Act, 2022, and the enactment of the Electoral Act, 2026, which introduced changes to statutory timelines for pre-election and electoral activities, INEC reviewed and realigned its schedule to comply with the new legal framework.
Under the revised timetable, the presidential and National Assembly elections will now hold on Saturday, January 16, 2027, while the governorship and State Houses of Assembly elections are scheduled for Saturday, February 6, 2027.
The House’s resolution is expected to provide lawmakers with an opportunity to assess the commission’s preparedness and identify potential challenges that could affect the smooth conduct of the polls.
The briefing will also enable the Electoral Matters Committee to examine INEC’s plans for ensuring effective logistics, adequate personnel deployment, credible voter accreditation and the protection of electoral officials and materials.
With the elections approaching, the commission is expected to demonstrate that its preparations are progressing in accordance with the revised timetable and the requirements of the new electoral law.
