Ignatius Okorocha and Jonas Ezieke, Abuja
The Minister of Foreign Affairs, Ambassador Bianca Odumegwu-Ojukwu, has assured the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) of Nigeria’s unwavering commitment to ensuring a peaceful and credible electoral process towards the forthcoming 2027general elections.
Similarly, the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has assured ECOWAS of its commitment to conducting credible, transparent and peaceful general elections in Nigeria in 2027.
The INEC Chairman, Prof. Joash Amupitan, gave the assurance on Friday in Abuja when he received a pre-election fact-finding mission from the regional organisation at the commission’s national headquarters.
Ambassador Odumegwu-Ojukwu gave the assurance while meeting with ECOWAS Pre-Election Fact-Finding Mission to Nigeria, led by His Excellency Victor Bockarie Foh, former Vice-President of the Republic of Sierra Leone, on Thursday, 29 October 2026, at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Abuja. H.E. Foh was accompanied by Ms. Francess Piagie Alghali, ECOWAS Commissioner for Political Affairs, Peace and Security, and other members of the Mission.
In his remarks, H.E. Foh explained that his Mission’s mandate was to assess Nigeria’s preparedness for the 2027 general elections, through consultations with relevant institutions, including the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), political parties, security agencies, civil society organisations and the media. He informed that earlier engagements with stakeholders, including the Inter-Party Advisory Council (IPAC), the Nigerian Civil Society Situation Room and the Nigerian Union of Journalists (NUJ), had been constructive. While observing that its preliminary assessment suggested a favourable environment for the forthcoming elections, H.E. Foh stated that the Mission’s consultations were still ongoing, and a report would be submitted when completed, outlining its findings and recommendations.
Responding, Ambassador Odumegwu-Ojukwu reaffirmed the commitment of the Federal Government of Nigeria to conducting peaceful, credible, transparent and inclusive elections in accordance with Nigeria’s Constitution and applicable electoral laws. She described the 2027 general election process as a defining one, expressing optimism that it would reinforce democracy in the country and the wider West African sub-region.
She noted that Nigeria recognized the imperative of institutional preparedness, transparent voter accreditation, effective result management, and timely resolution of electoral disputes in building confidence in the country’s electoral system. She also stated that Nigeria took seriously, robust coordination among security agencies for the protection of candidates, electoral officials, observers and voters during elections, while ensuring that security personnel discharge their duties professionally, impartially and in accordance with the country’s human rights obligations.
While underscoring the importance of voter education and effective law enforcement against electoral offences, the Honourable Minister highlighted the roles of political parties, civil society, traditional institutions and the media in promoting peaceful elections. She decried the risks posed by misinformation and disinformation, stressing the need for accurate, accessible and timely electoral information.
She identified opportunities to improve practical measures to enhance electoral participation of persons with disabilities and other vulnerable groups, and acknowledged the value of credible election observation in promoting transparency, strengthening public confidence and identifying areas for improvement throughout the electoral process.
According to electoral body chairman, the commission was strengthening its operational, technological and security arrangements to ensure a credible electoral process across the country.
He disclosed that Nigeria’s registered voter population had exceeded 103 million, with the commission preparing to conduct elections across 36 states and the Federal Capital Territory, covering 774 local government areas, 8,809 registration areas and 176,846 polling units.
According to him, the presidential and National Assembly elections will hold on January 16, 2027, while governorship and state Houses of Assembly elections are scheduled for February 6, 2027.
The INEC chairman said the commission had adopted a field-based approach to preparations, including zonal readiness assessment tours across the six geopolitical zones.
He disclosed that the commission had completed assessments in the South-West, North-West, South-East and North-East, while the South-South exercise would take place in Port Harcourt, Rivers State.
Amupitan explained that the assessments provided opportunities to engage field officials, inspect logistics and infrastructure and consult traditional rulers and community leaders on preparations for the elections.
On the electoral timetable, he said INEC had completed nine of the 14 major statutory activities scheduled for the 2027 elections.
He said the commission had concluded three phases of the Continuous Voter Registration exercise and completed the physical display of the Preliminary Register of Voters at registration areas nationwide.
The preliminary register, he added, had also been published on the commission’s online portal to enable Nigerians to scrutinise their details and submit claims and objections ahead of the certification of the final register on December 15, 2026
He further identified technical cooperation in combating electoral disinformation, improving election logistics in difficult terrains and strengthening inclusive voter education as areas where ECOWAS support would be valuable.
The INEC chairman also urged the regional body to sustain diplomatic engagement with political actors, civil society organisations and other stakeholders to promote peaceful elections and strengthen democratic commitments.
He stressed that the responsibility for credible elections extended beyond the electoral commission, noting that political parties, civil society organisations, the media and security agencies all had important roles to play.
According to him, political parties must uphold internal democracy and peaceful campaigning, while civil society organisations should intensify voter education and the media must remain committed to combating fake news and digital disinformation.
He said the findings and recommendations of the ECOWAS Pre-Election Fact-Finding Mission would provide valuable feedback for the Commission as it fine-tuned its operational plans ahead of the 2027 polls.
Amupitan assured the delegation that INEC was prepared to provide detailed briefings on its electoral preparations and operational readiness during the technical sessions.
He said Nigeria’s democratic stability was closely connected to the collective peace, security and prosperity of the West African sub-region.
The chairman reaffirmed INEC’s neutrality, declaring that the Commission had no preferred candidate or political party in the forthcoming elections.
“Our sole allegiance is to the rule of law, the sovereign will of the Nigerian electorate, and the democratic progress of our nation,” he said.
He expressed appreciation to ECOWAS for its continued partnership and commitment to democratic governance in West Africa, while wishing the delegation a successful continuation of its fact-finding mission.
Earlier, the Head of the ECOWAS Pre-Election Fact-Finding Mission, Victor Bockarie Foh, said the delegation was in Nigeria to assess INEC’s preparedness and that of other stakeholders ahead of the 2027 general elections.
Foh, a former Vice-President of Sierra Leone, said the mission was part of ECOWAS’ conflict prevention framework and was being undertaken in accordance with decisions of the regional bloc’s Heads of State and Government.
He said the delegation would engage political party leaders, government officials, electoral authorities, civil society organisations and other stakeholders involved in the electoral process.
The mission, he added, would also obtain relevant legal documents governing the elections and gather information on the political atmosphere, candidates and conditions under which the polls would be conducted.
Foh said the findings would help ECOWAS identify areas where the regional organisation could support INEC and other stakeholders to promote peaceful and credible elections.
A representative of the delegation described the visit as a statutory engagement conducted whenever a member state was preparing for elections.
He said the mission was particularly interested in hearing directly from INEC about its level of preparedness and identifying possible areas requiring additional support.
The delegation also sought clarification during the meeting on whether discussions should continue in the presence of television cameras or proceed privately.
Its representative explained that the mission was mindful of the need to protect sensitive information that neither the commission nor the delegation might be prepared to disclose publicly.
The ECOWAS Pre-Election Fact-Finding Mission was led by former Vice-President of Sierra Leone, Victor Bockarie Foh, with former Executive Secretary of ECOWAS and former Speaker of the Parliament of Sierra Leone, Dr. Abbas Chernor Bundu, serving as Co-Head of Mission.
Also on the delegation was ECOWAS Commissioner for Political Affairs, Peace and Security, Ambassador Francess Piagie Alghali, alongside other distinguished members and technical experts.
