President of the Nigeria Union of Journalists
President and Council Members of the NIPR
Executive Director of the International Press Centre
Media Executives and Heads of Various Media Organisations
Editors and Senior Journalists
National Commissioners of INEC
Secretary to the Commission
Ag. Director-General, The Electoral Institute
Technical Aides to the Chairman
Other Senior Officials of the Commission
Chairman and Members of the INEC Press Corps
Ladies and Gentlemen
1. Introduction
It is with great honor and a profound sense of responsibility that I warmly welcome you to this first regular consultative meeting with Media Executives for the year 2026, which is also my first such engagement as Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC). Although we are already in February, it is also appropriate to wish you a Happy New Year and to remind you that the year will be full of electoral activities for all electoral stakeholders in the run-up to the 2027 General Election. This gathering is a critical opportunity for us to foster dialogue, share insights, and collaboratively navigate the electoral landscape as we prepare for the future of our democracy in Nigeria
2. Anambra Election
You may recall that barely 15 days after I assumed office, the Commission successfully conducted the Anambra State off-cycle Governorship Election on 8th November, 2025. In the run-up to the election, we engaged extensively with stakeholders and conducted pre-election assessment to evaluate the state of preparedness and test-run our election technologies. We also saw the incredible power of your reporting to inform, mobilise, and hold stakeholders to account. You transmitted the details of the final voters’ register for the Anambra governorship poll, the extended Permanent Voter Card (PVC) collection period, and the massive security deployments for the election, among others. At the end of the day, the Commission managed the entire electoral process with candidates from 16 political parties and involving 2,802,790 eligible voters across 5,718 polling units with openness, accountability and strict adherence to the law. The election was widely acknowledged as credible, inclusive, transparent and efficiently administered. We remain grateful to all stakeholders, particularly the media, for your cooperation.
3. FCT Area Council Election
This meeting is holding amid some electoral activities, including the Federal Capital Territory Area Council Elections on Saturday, 21st February, 2026. The election will involve 1,680,315 registered voters, across 2,822 polling units (PUs) in the six (6) Area Councils of the FCT —namely Abaji, the Abuja Municipal Area Council, Bwari, Gwagwalada, Kuje and Kwali. It will be contested by 570 candidates in 68 (sixty-eight) constituencies for the positions of Chairmen and Vice-Chairmen and 62 (sixty-two) Councilors made up of 10 (ten) wards each for five Area Councils and 12 (twelve) wards for the Abuja Municipal Area Council. The Timetable and Schedule of Activities for the election which was released 23 January 2025 consists of 13 (thirteen) key activities, 10 (ten) of which have already been successfully completed. The remaining activities relate to the publication of the Notice of Poll, the last day of campaigns and Election Day itself. Parties are reminded that campaigns end on Thursday, 19th February 2026.
4. FCT Election Preparedness
On our part, non-sensitive materials have been delivered and are being batched at each Area Council. The Commission has concluded the training of Electoral Officers and their Assistants and the INEC/ICCES collaborative training of Election Security Personnel. Recruitment of Adhoc Election officials has been concluded and the Training of Trainers took place on Monday 2nd February, 2026 in preparation for the training of Adhoc Personnel commencing on the 6th of February, 2026 in the FCT, Kano and Rivers States. Furthermore, BVAS devices are being configured for accreditation and upload of results to the IReV portal, and sensitive materials will be delivered a day before the election. There will be a mock accreditation on Saturday, 7th February 2026, in 289 selected Polling Units (PUs) across the six Area Councils. The selected PUs will be made available on the Commission’s website. While 83 domestic and five (5) foreign observers have been accredited for the FCT council elections, the online accreditation for journalists intending to cover the polls remains ongoing until 8th February 2026. All interested media organisations are hereby enjoined to register before the portal closes.
5. Bye-elections in Ahoada East II and Khana II State Constituencies of Rovers State
Also on 21st February, 2026, the Commission will conduct bye-elections in Ahoada East II and Khana II State Constituencies of Rivers State. The vacancies in Ahoada East II and Khana II arose from the resignation and death of the elected members, respectively. In Ahoada East II, voting by 41,085 registered voters will take place in 87 (eighty-seven) polling units (PUs) across six wards, while in Khana II, 71,865 registered voters are expected to vote in 155 polling units across eight wards.
6. Bye-elections in Kano Municipal and Ungogo State Constituencies of Kano State
Similarly, bye-elections will be conducted on the same day for the Kano Municipal and Ungogo State Constituencies of Kano State as a result of the death of the two serving members. In the Kano Municipal constituency, 330,228 registered voters will vote in 630 polling units (PUs) across 13 wards, while in Ungogo constituency, 205,418 registered voters will vote in 384 polling units (PUs) across 11 wards. Ten political parties are participating in both bye-elections.
7. Ekiti and Osun State Governorship Election
Furthermore, in compliance with Section 28(1) and (2) of the Electoral Act, 2022, the Commission, on 25th June, 2025, announced that the Ekiti State Governorship Election will be held on 20th June, 2026, across 2,445 polling units in the 16 LGAs of the state. Of the 13 activities outlined in the election timetable, eight (8) have already been completed. In addition, the Osun State Governorship Election is scheduled for Saturday, 8th August, 2026. For that election, the third activity in the approved timetable is presently underway.
8. 2027 General Election
Section 28(1) of the Electoral Act, 2022 empowers the Commission to issue a notice of election not later than 360 days before the date of the poll. While the National Assembly is currently working on amendments to the Electoral Act, the Commission has made its submission as required. We are mindful of the growing public interest and anticipation surrounding the release of the timetable and wish to assure the media, political parties and the Nigerian public that the Timetable and Schedule of Activities for the 2027 General Election has been finalised by the commission in full compliance with the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999 (as amended), and the Electoral Act, 2022. Having said that, we seek your support in urging the National Assembly to expedite action on the ongoing amendment of the Electoral Act.
9. Voter Revalidation Exercise
A credible register of voters remains the bedrock of free, fair and transparent elections. No electoral process can command public confidence without trust in the integrity of its voters’ register. Nigeria’s national register, first compiled ahead of the 2011 General Election, has since been continuously updated and deployed in the General Elections of 2011, 2015, 2019 and 2023, as well as in several off-cycle governorship and bye-elections. As of the 2023 General Election, the register stood at 93,469,008 voters. However, persistent challenges —including duplicate registrations, registration by non-citizens, deceased voters and incomplete or inaccurate records— continue to generate legitimate concerns. Such anomalies undermine public confidence in the electoral process. In response, the Commission will embark on a thorough clean-up with a view to further sanitising and strengthening the integrity of the register. Accordingly, the Commission will soon embark on a nationwide Voter Revalidation Exercise ahead of the 2027 General Election.
10. Continuous Voter Registration
In the first phase of the ongoing Continuous Voter Registration exercise conducted from 18th August to 10th December 2025, the Commission registered a total of 2,782,587 eligible voters. The second phase commenced on 5th January 2026 and will run until 17th April 2026. The entire CVR exercise is scheduled to span one year and will be concluded on 30th August 2026. We are encouraged by the strong public response to the exercise, which affirms the continuing belief of Nigerians in the democratic process and in the efforts of the Commission to ensure that every eligible citizen is afforded the opportunity to register and vote. However, those who engage in double registration will be identified, removed from the voters’ register and barred from participating in future elections. Double registration is against the law, and INEC will no longer condone it. Nobody should register twice because our system will detect it. We will not just detect it; those involved in double registration will be removed from the register.
11. Political Parties Registration
You will recall that the Commission received a total of 171 letters of intent from associations seeking registration as political parties. The associations were assessed in line with Section 222 of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999 (as amended), Section 79(1), (2) and (4) of the Electoral Act, 2022, as well as Clause 2 of the Commission’s Regulations and Guidelines for Political Parties, 2022. Several of the Associations were unable to fulfil the constitutional requirements and the requirements of the Electoral Act, 2022, as well as the Regulations and Guidelines for Political Parties. The successful association(s) will soon be announced by the Commission.
12. FCT PVC Collection
As our media partners, we urge you to help mobilise the FCT Council Areas’ residents to go out and collect their PVC. The ongoing PVC distribution in the FCT will end on 10th February 2026 and we do not want anyone to be disenfranchised. Also, let’s work together to sensitise the public, particularly political party members, to refrain from hate speech, vote buying, and violence during campaigns, and to conduct their activities strictly within the framework of the law.
13. Tackling Misinformation/ Disinformation
Gentlemen of the press, as we navigate this period of intense electoral activity (from the FCT Area Council polls on February 21, 2026 to the upcoming governorship contests in Ekiti and Osun), the Commission remains committed to openness and accountability. However, let me remind you that the strongest electoral systems can be undermined by misinformation, misinterpretation, deliberate distortion and Foreign Information Manipulation & Interference (FIMI). We, therefore, urge you to promote accurate reporting at all time. Our official website and all digital channels are veritable and authoritative points of contact for the media. Officials of the Commission authorised to speak with the media will continue to do their job. Let me end by reiterating that elections are no longer just contested only at the polling units, they are contested in the information space. As such, I urge the media to rise up against mis/disinformation so as to protect the sanctity of our electoral process.
14. Let’s be Vigilant
As we look towards the 2027 General Elections, it is imperative that we remain vigilant and proactive. We must prepare for a seamless electoral process that embodies the ideals of democracy, justice, and inclusivity. This is a collective responsibility, and each one of you plays a vital role in fostering democracy in Nigeria.
15. Conclusion
We deeply acknowledge the work that you do, and our doors are open for more engagements. May God bless the Federal Republic of Nigeria. Thank you.
Professor Joash O. Amupitan, SAN
Chairman, Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC)
4th February 2026