Canada Gets INEC Assurance of Neutrality Ahead of Nigeria’s 2027 Elections
The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has assured Canada that it remains independent, neutral and committed to delivering free, fair and credible elections in Nigeria’s 2027 general elections.
INEC Chairman, Prof. Joash Ojo Amupitan, gave the assurance on Friday in Abuja when Canada’s Chargé d’Affaires, David Sproule, led a delegation to the Commission’s headquarters.
Amupitan said INEC’s recent performance in the Osun governorship election had strengthened its preparations for 2027.
He noted that 94.5 per cent of the state’s polling units opened for accreditation and voting by 8:30 a.m., while the BVAS and result-upload systems performed effectively.
He said the Commission would hold a mock accreditation exercise in November to test its equipment ahead of the general elections, with about 1.4 million ad-hoc personnel expected to serve across more than 176,000 polling units.
Canada expressed its willingness to support Nigeria’s electoral process, particularly initiatives aimed at improving public confidence, promoting women’s participation and strengthening electoral integrity.
INEC also said it was working to improve the participation of women, youths and persons with disabilities while tackling misinformation and disinformation that could undermine elections.
The Commission has established an Artificial Intelligence Unit to explore the use of AI in electoral administration and address emerging threats, including deepfakes and AI-driven disinformation.
The presidential and National Assembly elections are scheduled for January 16, 2027, while the governorship and State Assembly elections will hold on February 6.
