The Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Prof. Joash Amupitan, SAN, has charged staff of the commission to uphold the highest standards of integrity and professionalism, warning that the electoral body cannot afford to disappoint Nigerians in the 2027 general elections.
Speaking during an official working visit and interactive session with management and staff at the INEC headquarters in Minna, Niger State, on Friday, Amupitan urged officials to resist all forms of compromise, stressing that both Nigerians and the international community were closely monitoring preparations for the country’s next general elections.
“The whole world, not just Nigerians, is looking up to INEC,” the chairman said. “I just returned from an African Union meeting in Egypt involving Electoral Management Bodies across Africa, and everyone expressed the desire to come and observe Nigeria’s elections. We must conduct the elections in a highly professional manner.”
He reminded staff that they serve as ambassadors of the commission and announced that the presidential and National Assembly elections would hold on **January 16, 2027**, while the governorship and State Houses of Assembly elections are scheduled for **February 6, 2027**.
Amupitan assured staff that the commission was strengthening logistics, transportation and infrastructure across its offices nationwide to avoid the operational shortcomings experienced in previous elections.
“We do not want to repeat the mistakes of the past. My goal is to ensure that we continue to improve on our performance,” he said.
The INEC chairman reiterated his commitment to restoring public confidence in the commission through the conduct of transparent, free, fair and credible elections, noting that the success of the electoral process would largely depend on the dedication and integrity of staff at the grassroots.
He announced that the commission would introduce a reward system to recognise outstanding performance while imposing strict sanctions on officials found guilty of 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 said.
On staff welfare, Amupitan disclosed that INEC had commenced a comprehensive review of employees’ welfare packages across the country to improve morale and productivity.
According to him, staff welfare was one of the critical issues he identified after assuming office nine months ago.
“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.
The INEC chairman also inspected the ongoing Continuous Voter Registration (CVR) exercise at a registration centre located within the state headquarters as part of his working visit.
