INEC sets mock accreditation, assures media on 2027 roadmap

The Independent National Electoral Commission,INEC, on Tuesday assured media executives that the timetable and schedule of activities for the 2027 General Election had been finalised in line with the Constitution and the Electoral Act, 2022, even as it announced a mock accreditation exercise ahead of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Area Council elections.

The INEC Chairman, Prof. Joash Amupitan, SAN, gave the assurance in Abuja during the Commission’s consultative meeting with media executives, his first formal engagement with the media since assuming office.

Advertisements

Amupitan said preparations for the FCT Area Council elections scheduled for February 21, 2026, had reached an advanced stage, adding that non-sensitive materials had been delivered and batched across the six Area Councils, while sensitive materials would be deployed a day before the polls.

He disclosed that the Commission would conduct a mock accreditation exercise on February 7, 2026, in 289 selected polling units across the FCT, with details to be published on INEC’s website.

Advertisements

According to him, BVAS devices are currently being configured for voter accreditation and the upload of results to the INEC Result Viewing (IReV) portal.

The INEC chairman also revealed that 83 domestic and five foreign observer groups had been accredited for the election, while online accreditation for journalists would remain open until February 8, 2026.

On the 2027 General Election, Amupitan said the Commission had completed the timetable and schedule of activities in full compliance with the law but appealed for support in urging the National Assembly to expedite action on the ongoing amendment of the Electoral Act.

He also announced that INEC would soon commence a nationwide voter revalidation exercise ahead of the 2027 polls to sanitise the voters’ register and address anomalies such as duplicate registrations, under-age registration and entries of deceased persons.

The INEC boss warned that misinformation, disinformation and foreign information manipulation posed serious threats to electoral integrity, urging the media to rely on the Commission’s official platforms for accurate information.

“Elections are no longer contested only at polling units; they are also contested in the information space,” he said.

Responding on behalf of the media, the President of the Nigerian Union of Journalists (NUJ), Alhassan Yahaya Abdullahi, reaffirmed the media’s readiness to collaborate with INEC to promote credible and peaceful elections.

He noted the growing public anxiety over the release of the 2027 election timetable and assured that the media would continue to provide platforms for voter education and election-related activities.

Abdullahi also appealed to the Commission to prioritise training and capacity-building for journalists, particularly ahead of the implementation of a new Electoral Act, adding that the NUJ, in collaboration with other professional bodies, was developing proposals and training modules to enhance election reporting nationwide.

He urged journalists to uphold national security and national interest in their reportage.

Advertisements