INEC AIMS FOR FREE AND FAIR ELECTION

By Sammy Etuk Jnr

The Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, Professor Joash Amupitan, has appealed to Nigerians to work with the commission towards a flawless 2027 general election.

Amupitan made the appeal at the World Press Conference and National Stakeholders’ Meeting at the Bola Ahmed Tinubu International Conference Centre, Abuja, on Tuesday, marking 100 days to the first ballot of the 2027 general election scheduled for January 16, 2027.

He said the commission was determined to conduct a free and fair election, adding, “We need Nigerians to come together to work towards a momentous 2027 election.”

The INEC Chairman said the final National Register of Voters now stands at 103,429,735, following the completion of the 2026 Continuous Voter Registration exercise and biometric verification.

Giving the demographic breakdown, he said voters aged 18 to 34 number 29,777,576, representing 28.79 per cent of the register, while those aged 35 to 49 account for 43,265,946, or 41.83 per cent.

Those aged 50 to 69 number 22,983,922, representing 22.22 per cent, while voters aged 70 years and above stand at 7,402,291, representing 7.16 per cent.

On vote buying and vote selling, Amupitan said INEC does not have the responsibility to arrest or prosecute persons involved in such offences, adding that such matters fall within the responsibility of the police and other law-enforcement agencies.

He said INEC would work with the relevant institutions and stakeholders to ensure that the electoral process is conducted in accordance with the law and that Nigerians can participate peacefully in the 2027 elections.

© 2026 Sammy Etuk. All rights reserved.