The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has identified areas requiring early deployment of electoral materials and personnel ahead of the 2027 general election following its physical assessment of preparations across four geopolitical zones.
INEC Chairman, Prof Joash Amupitan, said the commission discovered logistical and security challenges in some locations during its nationwide readiness assessment, prompting plans to adjust deployment arrangements.
Amupitan disclosed this on Friday in Abuja while receiving the ECOWAS Pre-Election Fact-Finding Mission, led by former Sierra Leone Vice-President, Victor Bockarie Foh.
He said the commission had visited Lagos in the South-West, Kaduna in the North-West, Enugu in the South-East and states in the North-East, leaving the South-South and North-Central zones for assessment.
The INEC chairman said the exercise had moved beyond administrative preparations to physical inspections aimed at identifying challenges relating to logistics, security, terrain and the deployment of personnel and election materials.
“During our meeting earlier this week, we realised that there are some areas where we needed earlier deployment than we had planned because of the terrain and some of the security issues,” he said.
Amupitan disclosed that INEC had completed nine of the 14 activities on its election timetable, adding that the zonal assessments would help the commission address operational gaps before the polls.
He said the engagements also involved Resident Electoral Commissioners, local government electoral officers and heads of departments, with a focus on strengthening professionalism, neutrality and accountability among officials.
The commission is expected to proceed to the South-South before concluding the exercise in the North-Central zone.
Earlier, Foh said the ECOWAS mission was in Nigeria to assess the preparedness of INEC and other stakeholders and examine the political and electoral environment ahead of the 2027 elections.
He said the delegation would meet political party leaders, government officials, civil society organisations and other stakeholders, as well as obtain relevant legal documents guiding the electoral process.
Foh said the findings would help ECOWAS identify areas where it could support Nigeria in ensuring peaceful, credible and transparent elections.
The mission is part of the regional bloc’s conflict prevention framework and its engagement with member states preparing for elections.
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