INEC Completes Nine Activities Ahead of 2027 General Elections

INEC Completes Nine Activities Ahead of 2027 General Elections

The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has announced that it has completed nine scheduled activities ahead of the 2027 general elections, with preparations progressing steadily.

INEC National Commissioner, Prof. Rhoda Gumus, disclosed this on Thursday, November 12, 2026, at the Commission’s headquarters in Abuja while receiving a delegation from Kenya’s Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC).

The Kenyan delegation, which is in Nigeria on a benchmarking visit, was led by the country’s High Commissioner to Nigeria, Mr Isaac Keen Parashina.

Prof. Gumus, who represented the INEC Chairman, Prof. Joash Amupitan, said the Chairman was in the United Kingdom to present the Commission’s election preparations at Chatham House.

She explained that the Commission had concluded a tour of the six geopolitical zones to assess their level of preparedness, identify challenges and develop solutions ahead of the polls.

According to her, the Commission has also made significant progress in the production and distribution of election materials.

She disclosed that non-sensitive election materials were almost ready, with some already being transported to different geopolitical zones.

The National Commissioner added that Permanent Voter Cards (PVCs) had been produced, while most states had received their first and second batches. She said collection by registered voters was ongoing and urged eligible voters to collect their cards ahead of the elections.

Prof. Gumus further revealed that staff training and capacity building were ongoing at the national and state levels, alongside the procurement and deployment of the Bimodal Voter Accreditation System (BVAS) devices.

On diaspora voting, she explained that the current electoral law did not provide for Nigerians living abroad to vote, adding that INEC could only implement the arrangement after the law was amended.

She assured the Kenyan delegation of the Commission’s readiness to share its experiences, explaining that INEC directors would hold interactive sessions and make presentations on the activities of their respective departments.

Earlier, the Kenyan High Commissioner, Mr Parashina, thanked INEC for receiving the delegation despite its busy schedule ahead of the elections expected in January and February 2027.

He described the visit as a reflection of the strong relationship between Nigeria and Kenya, noting that Kenya would also conduct its general elections in August 2027.

Parashina described Nigeria as Africa’s largest democracy and said the success of the country was important to Kenya and the African continent.

He explained that the delegation was in Nigeria to learn from INEC’s experience, particularly as Kenya seeks to expand voting opportunities for citizens living abroad and improve the participation of special interest groups in elections.

The High Commissioner disclosed that Kenyans in about 12 countries participated in the last general election, while the country was planning to extend diaspora voting to approximately 26 countries.

He added that the expansion was a constitutional requirement, reinforced by court rulings, which the Kenyan electoral body was working to implement progressively.

INEC Completes Nine Activities Ahead of 2027 General Elections