By Our Reporter
The House of Representatives has given the Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Joash Amupitan, seven legislative days to brief its Committee on Electoral Matters on the commission’s preparedness for the 2027 general elections.
Amupitan is expected to provide updates on Continuous Voter Registration (CVR), Permanent Voter Card (PVC) management, election logistics, technology deployment, personnel training, electoral security, risk assessment strategies and budget implementation.
The resolution followed a motion sponsored by the House Minority Whip and Deputy Minority Leader, who had initially proposed that the INEC chairman brief the entire House.
However, the Deputy Speaker argued that INEC had already addressed the public on its preparations for the elections at several fora, suggesting that the briefing should instead take place at the committee level.
The lawmakers subsequently adopted the proposal for the Committee on Electoral Matters to receive the briefing within seven legislative days.
The move comes as INEC adjusts its preparations for the 2027 general elections following the enactment of the Electoral Act, 2026, which introduced changes to statutory timelines governing electoral activities.
The commission had initially scheduled the Presidential and National Assembly elections for Saturday, February 20, 2027, while the Governorship and State Houses of Assembly elections were slated for Saturday, March 6, 2027.
However, following the repeal of the Electoral Act, 2022, and the enactment of the new electoral law, INEC reviewed its timetable to align with the revised legal framework.
Under the revised schedule, the Presidential and National Assembly elections will now hold on Saturday, January 16, 2027, while the Governorship and State Houses of Assembly elections are scheduled for Saturday, February 6, 2027.
The proposed briefing is expected to provide lawmakers with an assessment of the commission’s operational readiness, including its plans for voter registration, deployment of election technology, security arrangements and the implementation of its electoral budget.