The Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, is set to introduce a real-time election readiness tracker as preparations intensify for the 2027 general elections and the national voter register approaches 100 million.
The INEC Chairman, Prof. Joash Amupitan, disclosed this in Lagos during a two-day strategic operational workshop for the commission’s administrative secretaries.
According to a statement issued by INEC’s Director of Voter Education and Publicity, Victoria Eta-Messi, the tracker will enable the commission’s leadership to monitor preparations across the 36 states and the Federal Capital Territory.
The system will provide updates on logistics, recruitment and training of ad hoc personnel, electoral technology, distribution of election materials and other aspects of the commission’s preparations.
Amupitan said the initiative was aimed at addressing gaps in the monitoring of operational activities at the state level and ensuring that potential problems were identified before election day.
He said the tracker would give Resident Electoral Commissioners, supervising national commissioners, the Secretary to the Commission and the headquarters real-time visibility into the level of preparedness in each state.
The workshop is also expected to produce a standardised Administrative Secretary Master Operational Tracker Template, which will be linked to INEC’s Election Monitoring and Support Centre dashboard and Election Project Plan.
Amupitan said the commission was seeking to move away from a last-minute approach to election preparation and adopt a more proactive system of managing operations.
He also disclosed that the Continuous Voter Registration exercise conducted between August 2025 and July 2026 had recorded 10,772,421 new registrants, subject to ongoing verification through the Automated Biometric Identification System.
The INEC chairman said the National Register of Voters was now approaching the 100 million mark, adding that the commission remained committed to ensuring that eligible Nigerians were not disenfranchised because of problems with the distribution of Permanent Voter Cards.
He identified Continuous Voter Registration, logistics and materials management, electoral technology, ad hoc staff deployment and financial compliance as the five major operational areas under review.
Amupitan said INEC had about six months to complete preparations for the 2027 elections, with the presidential and National Assembly elections scheduled for January 16, 2027, while the governorship and state Houses of Assembly polls will hold on February 6.
He added that the new readiness tracker would remain in use beyond the 2027 elections as a permanent operational and onboarding framework for future administrative secretaries.
The INEC chairman also said the commission was drawing lessons from recent off-cycle elections, particularly the Osun governorship election, which he said demonstrated the importance of effective logistics and technology.
At a separate South-West zonal interactive meeting and readiness assessment in Lagos on Monday, Amupitan warned that pressure on INEC staff would increase as the 2027 elections approach.
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He identified voter apathy, declining public trust and misinformation and disinformation as major challenges that could affect the elections.
The meeting, held at the Radisson Blu Hotel, Ikeja, was the first leg of a six-zone tour by the commission to assess its readiness for the 2027 polls.
Amupitan said the commission was also improving its result management systems, including the eEC8A, to strengthen the verification of polling unit results through the national collation centre.
He warned INEC personnel against partisan conduct and administrative negligence, citing Section 26 of the Electoral Act, which requires relevant electoral and security personnel to take an oath of neutrality.
The commission said the zonal engagements would focus on logistics, technology, security, voter education, recruitment and stakeholder engagement ahead of the 2027 elections.
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Cecilia Attah is a tech analyst with a degree from Benue State University. She covers tech news and startups at TechRegard with a focus on how technology is transforming Africa and shaping the global landscape.
