The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has ruled out any postponement of the 2027 general elections, insisting that the polls will hold on the dates already announced.
The commission also fixed December 15, 2026, for the certification and publication of the final register of voters ahead of the elections.
INEC Chairman, Professor Joash Amupitan, gave the assurance on Saturday during an interactive meeting with commission officials and Resident Electoral Commissioners from the six South-South states in Port Harcourt, Rivers State.
Amupitan said the commission remained committed to its statutory obligations and would not alter the electoral timetable without lawful justification.
“Our statutory timeline is fixed. We will not change anything. The election must be held as scheduled,” he said.
His declaration comes amid concerns and claims by some political groups that the 2027 elections could be postponed.
On preparations for the polls, the INEC chairman disclosed that the commission had received more than 5,000 requests for corrections to the preliminary voters’ register, including errors relating to names and dates of birth, as well as over 600 objections.
He said the submissions were being processed ahead of the December 15 deadline for the release of the final register.
According to him, the preliminary register had been made available online and at designated locations to enable registered voters to verify their details and raise objections where necessary.
Amupitan also revealed that he initially considered conducting a fresh revalidation of the entire voters’ register after assuming office but abandoned the proposal because the exercise could take place too close to the general elections.
The INEC chairman identified Rivers State as a priority in the commission’s preparations, citing its large voting population.
Figures presented at the meeting showed that Rivers has 3,736,434 registered voters, the highest in the South-South region, followed by Delta with 3,525,988 and Edo with 2,865,263.
Akwa Ibom has 2,566,198 registered voters, Cross River 1,928,978, while Bayelsa has 1,200,691. The six states have a combined 15,823,550 registered voters.
Amupitan charged electoral officials to ensure that no eligible voter was disenfranchised through operational failures, particularly in states with large voting populations.
On election security, he said INEC was working with relevant agencies, including the Nigeria Police Force and the Department of State Services, to protect voters, electoral personnel, ad hoc staff and election materials.
He warned that anyone who attacks or threatens electoral officials, including members of the National Youth Service Corps deployed for election duties, would face the full weight of the law.
The chairman also dismissed suggestions that artificial intelligence or computer algorithms could determine the outcome of the 2027 elections, insisting that Nigerians would decide through their votes.
“It is the people of Nigeria that will decide the outcome of the elections and not AI or any algorithms,” he declared.
He, however, acknowledged emerging cybersecurity threats and said the commission was exploring ways to strengthen the protection of its digital infrastructure against possible attacks.
Amupitan urged INEC personnel across the South-South to maintain professionalism, impartiality and commitment to their duties, warning against partisanship, negligence, absenteeism and financial misconduct.
He expressed confidence in the commission’s preparedness, saying lessons from recent off-cycle elections, particularly the Osun State governorship election, would help strengthen its arrangements for the 2027 general elections.
