Amupitan made this known in Port Harcourt, Rivers State, during an interactive meeting with INEC staff from the six South-South states to assess the commission’s level of preparedness for the elections.
He reaffirmed INEC’s commitment to fulfilling its constitutional and statutory responsibilities, stressing that the commission would adhere strictly to the approved electoral timetable.
“Our statutory timeline is fixed. We will not change anything. The election must hold as scheduled,” he said.
The INEC chairman disclosed that Rivers State would receive special attention in the commission’s preparations, noting that it has the highest number of registered voters in the South-South region.
According to figures presented by Amupitan, Rivers has 3,736,434 registered voters, followed by Delta with 3,525,988 and Edo with 2,865,263. Akwa Ibom has 2,566,198 registered voters, Cross River has 1,928,978, while Bayelsa has 1,200,691.
“With the 3,736,434 registered voters for Rivers State, the state leads the South-South. By this, the commission will put more attention to what happens in Rivers State,” he stated.
He charged electoral officials to ensure that no eligible voter is denied the opportunity to vote due to operational shortcomings.
On the ongoing review of the voters’ register, Amupitan said the commission had made the register available online and at designated locations to allow members of the public to scrutinise the records.
He disclosed that INEC had received more than 5,000 requests for corrections, covering issues such as names and dates of birth, alongside over 600 objections. He said the commission was processing the submissions to improve the accuracy and credibility of the register ahead of the elections.
Amupitan further announced that the final voters’ register would be published on December 15, adding that INEC was working to resolve all outstanding issues before the deadline.
The chairman also revealed that he had initially considered conducting a fresh voter revalidation exercise after assuming office but abandoned the proposal following concerns that it would take place too close to the 2027 general elections.
Expressing confidence in the commission’s ability to deliver peaceful, transparent and credible elections, Amupitan said INEC had drawn valuable lessons from recent off-cycle governorship elections, particularly the Osun State poll.
He noted that the Osun election recorded the highest voter turnout for an off-cycle election in the state and received positive assessments from local and international observers, despite earlier security concerns.
“Osun State elections gave us the confidence that we can achieve this despite the noise,” he said.
“It is good that we had a series of those elections before the general elections because we learn lessons from every election.”
He added that the commission would incorporate the lessons learnt into its preparations for the 2027 polls, emphasising that the goal was to conduct elections that would strengthen national development rather than undermine it.
On election security, Amupitan disclosed that INEC was collaborating with the Nigeria Police Force, the Department of State Services (DSS) and other security agencies to protect voters, electoral officials, ad hoc personnel and election materials.
He stressed that efforts to encourage Nigerians to collect their Permanent Voter Cards (PVCs) must be matched with adequate security arrangements to enable them to vote without fear.
“We want every part of Nigeria to be calm during the elections so that people can come out to vote. We will not tell them to take their PVCs and then will not guarantee their safety,” he said.
Addressing concerns about the possible influence of artificial intelligence (AI) and algorithms on election outcomes, the INEC chairman maintained that the will of Nigerian voters would determine the results.
“It is the people of Nigeria that will decide the outcome of the elections and not AI or any algorithms,” he stated.
However, he acknowledged the increasing cybersecurity risks associated with artificial intelligence, noting that the commission would explore ways of deploying technology to strengthen the protection of its systems against cyberattacks.
Amupitan added that INEC was upgrading its digital infrastructure and would not allow external interference to disrupt its operations.
He urged INEC personnel across the South-South region to remain committed and diligent, stressing that the credibility of the 2027 general elections would largely depend on the professionalism and conduct of officials at polling units and other field locations.
