Reps summon INEC chair Amupitan over 2027 election readiness

The House of Representatives has asked the Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Joash Amupitan, to appear before its Committee on Electoral Matters within seven legislative days to explain how prepared the commission is for the 2027 general elections.

The resolution followed a motion by the Minority Whip, Mansur Manu Soro, and the Deputy Minority Leader, Abdussamad Dasuki, at Wednesday's plenary. The lawmakers want a detailed status report on voter registration, Permanent Voter Card (PVC) production and distribution, election logistics, technology, staff training, security and funding.

For ordinary Nigerians, the briefing matters because the voter register and the cards are the gateway to voting. If registration centres are short of equipment or slow, first-time voters, rural residents, students, workers and persons with disabilities could be shut out of the 2027 polls.

What lawmakers are worried about

The motion cited reports from Continuous Voter Registration (CVR) centres across the country: inadequate equipment, too few staff, network problems and long queues, with rising demand from citizens who want to register or update their records.

Soro said the credibility of the 2027 elections would depend heavily on INEC's readiness in voter education, logistics, technology, personnel training, security coordination and timely funding. The House also wants to know how much money INEC has received, what is still outstanding, and what any funding gap could do to its timetable.

Dasuki raised security. He said the elections would hold under difficult conditions and pointed to the volume of security-related motions before the House, warning that some communities and polling units may struggle to take part. Speaker Abbas Tajudeen, however, cautioned that the number of such motions does not by itself prove insecurity has worsened.

Lawmakers said the recent Ekiti State governorship election offered useful lessons on logistics, technology and working with stakeholders.

Why the committee, not the full House

The motion first sought to have Amupitan address the entire House. Deputy Speaker Benjamin Kalu opposed that, saying the INEC chairman had already spoken publicly about some of these concerns, including on logistics, recruitment and technology. He proposed that the briefing go to the committee instead.

Tajudeen ruled that the committee should invite the INEC chairman, publicise the date so interested lawmakers can attend, and ask questions there.

INEC has fixed the presidential and National Assembly elections for Saturday, 16 January 2027, and the governorship and state assembly elections for Saturday, 6 February 2027. The dates were moved after the Electoral Act 2026 replaced the 2022 law and changed some statutory timelines.

What happens next: The Committee on Electoral Matters is expected to announce a date and question Amupitan on INEC's preparations.