Chairman of Inter-Party Advisory Council (IPAC)
Chairmen and other Leaders of Political Parties
National Commissioners
Secretary to the Commission
Ag. Director, The Electoral Institute
Technical Aides to the Chairman
Directors and other Senior Officials of the Commission
Members of the INEC Press Corps
Ladies and Gentlemen
1. Introduction
It is my profound honor to warmly welcome you to this first regular consultative meeting with Political Parties for 2026. This gathering is particularly meaningful as it marks my inaugural engagement with you in my capacity as Chairman of the Commission. Following our productive dialogues with Civil Society Organisations and the Media yesterday, 4th February, we are glad and eager to build on that momentum. Today, therefore, offers a critical opportunity to foster dialogue and collaboratively navigate the electoral landscape as we strengthen our democracy. Though we are now in February, it is appropriate to wish you a Happy New Year and to remind you that 2026 will be full of electoral activities for all electoral stakeholders in the run-up to the 2027 General Election.
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. 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 deeply grateful to all stakeholders, especially the political parties, for your exemplary cooperation. By moving beyond the formal signing of the Peace Accord to actively rejecting violence, you ensured a peaceful process despite the widespread apprehensions that preceded the Anambra polls.
3. FCT Area Council Election
As you are rightly aware, the Federal Capital Territory Area Council Elections will hold on Saturday, 21st February 2026. The exercise will see 1,680,315 registered voters casting their ballots 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 23rd 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. In this regard, I must remind all Political Parties that the window for campaigns officially closes 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 Ad hoc Election officials has been concluded, and the Training of Trainers took place on Monday, 2nd February, 2026 in preparation for the training of Ad hoc 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. To further guarantee the functionality of our systems, the Commission will conduct a Mock Accreditation exercise on Saturday, 7th February 2026. This will take place in 289 designated Polling Units (PUs) across the six Area Councils. A comprehensive list of the selected PUs will be published on the Commission’s website for public information. Furthermore, in line with our commitment to transparency, we have accredited 83 domestic and five (5) foreign observer groups to monitor the polls. Additionally, various media organizations will be accredited to ensure comprehensive and objective coverage of the entire electoral process.
5. PVC Collection
Political parties are indispensable partners in deepening electoral participation. I, therefore, urge you to intensify your efforts in mobilising residents across the FCT Area Councils to collect their PVCs. With the distribution exercise set to conclude on 10th February 2026, our collective goal must be to ensure that no eligible voter is disenfranchised. Furthermore, I charge you to provide leadership by sensitising your supporters to reject hate speech, violence, and the scourge of vote-buying. Let me be clear: vote-buying is a subversion of the democratic will and a violation of the law. Any individual or group found engaging in this practice will face the full weight of the law.
6. Rivers State Bye-elections
In addition to the FCT council polls, the Commission will also conduct bye-elections on Saturday, 21st February 2026, for the Ahoada East II and Khana II State Constituencies of Rivers State. These vacancies arose following the resignation of the member representing Ahoada East II and the unfortunate passing of the member for Khana II. In Ahoada East II, the election will involve 41,085 registered voters across 87 polling units in six wards. Similarly, in Khana II, we expect 71,865 registered voters to exercise their franchise in 155 polling units across eight wards.”
6. Kano Municipal and Ungogo State Constituencies Bye-elections
Furthermore, bye-elections will be held concurrently in Kano State for the Kano Municipal and Ungogo State Constituencies. These elections were necessitated by the untimely demise of the two serving members of the State House of Assembly. The scale of these exercises is significant: in Kano Municipal, 330,228 registered voters are eligible to participate across 630 Polling Units (PUs) in 13 wards. In the Ungogo constituency, 205,418 registered voters will exercise their franchise across 384 Polling Units (PUs) in 11 wards. The Commission has cleared ten political parties to participate in both contests, and we expect the same level of decorum and adherence to the guidelines that we have seen in previous engagements.
7. Ekiti and Osun State Governorship Election
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 would be held on 20th June, 2026, across 2,445 polling units in the 16 Local Government Areas 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
We are mindful of the growing public interest and anticipation surrounding the release of the timetable for the 2027 General Election. This is also in accordance with Section 28(1) of the Electoral Act 2022, which mandates the Commission to issue a Notice of Election at least 360 days before the poll. While the National Assembly is currently working on amendments to the Electoral Act, the Commission has made its submission as required. The Commission has also finalised the Timetable and Schedule of Activities for the 2027 General Election in full compliance with the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999 (as amended), and the Electoral Act, 2022. The Senate on Wednesday passed the Electoral Act Amendment Bill and also set a Conference Committee to look at the bill. In view of this, we reiterate our call to all stakeholders to urge the National Assembly to expedite the ongoing amendment to ensure a stable legal environment well ahead of the elections.
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. First compiled ahead of the 2011 General Election, the current voter register has undergone regular updating and deployed in the 2011, 2015, 2019 and 2023 General Elections, 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 stakeholders’ 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. Dwindling Voter Turnout
Inextricably linked to the integrity of the voter register is the equally pressing challenge of a progressive decline in voter turnout, which has become a serious concern for our democracy. Presidential election data reveal a sobering trend: from 53.7% in 2011 to 43.6% in 2015, 34.7% in 2019, and most recently, 26.7% in 2023. While the introduction of the Smart Card Reader (SCR) and the Bimodal Voter Accreditation System (BVAS) has successfully eliminated ballot stuffing and ‘ghost’ votes, we must acknowledge that technology alone cannot solve voter apathy. Citizens’ trust is often eroded by a perceived lack of democratic dividends or the fear that their voices do not matter. We must change this narrative together. INEC is committed to providing a seamless, pleasant voting experience by removing barriers to the ballot. However, the Commission cannot do it alone. I call on Political Parties to partner with us by ‘upping the ante’ in voter education and mobilization. Beyond seeking votes, your role in rebuilding public trust and inspiring citizens to exercise their franchise is critical to the health of our democracy.
11. 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, double is a violation of the law; our technology is fully equipped to detect such. INEC will not hesitate to remove offenders from the voters’ register.
12. 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 Sections 222 and 223 of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999 (as amended), Sections 75 and 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. Consequently, 14 associations that satisfied the initial prequalification were invited to proceed to the next stage. Of these, 8 successfully uploaded their documents on the Commission’s dedicated portal. They are the All Democratic Alliance (ADA), Citizens Democratic Alliance (CDA), Abundance Social Party (ASP), African Alliance Party (AAP), Democratic Leadership Alliance (DLA), Green Future Party (GFP), National Democratic Party (NDP) and the Peoples Freedom Party (PFP).
Out of the eight above, only two qualified for final assessment and verification of due compliance with the Constitution and the Electoral Act. After due consideration, only the Democratic Leadership Alliance (DLA) was found to have complied fully with the requirements of the law. Accordingly, the Commission has decided to register the Democratic Leadership Alliance (DLA) as a political party, effective from today, 5th February 2025.
Furthermore, the Federal High Court sitting in Lokoja, Kogi State, in Suit No. FHC/LKJ/CS/49/2025 between Barr Takori Mohammed Sanni & Ors v. INEC ordered the Commission to register Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC) as a political party. The Commission has decided to comply with the order and is being registered as a political party. Certificate of Registration will be handed over to the two new political parties in due course.
13. Internal Party Democracy
Our collective commitment to maintaining the integrity of our electoral processes is being challenged by the unfortunate and increasingly frequent leadership squabbles within various political parties across our esteemed nation. The essence of democracy is rooted in the ability of political parties to flourish, debate, and contest ideologies in a manner that respects the tenets of fair play and mutual respect. However, it is with great concern that I note the current trend of infighting among party leaderships, which not only detracts from the core objectives of these political entities but also spills over into unnecessary legal battles that tax our judicial system and public resources.
These numerous litigations, in which the Commission often finds itself joined as a party, divert our attention from our primary mandate: to ensure free, fair, and credible elections in Nigeria. As the guardians of our electoral process, we are compelled to address these issues not just for the sake of our institution, but for the greater good of our democracy.
The implications of these squabbles are far-reaching. They create an environment of uncertainty for party members and supporters, erode public trust in the political system, and undermine the democratic process that we all hold dear. Each litigation not only consumes time and resources but also distracts from the important work of mobilizing voters and engaging with the public on critical national issues.
As an Independent body, INEC remains neutral, but we seek to remind all political parties that cohesive and transparent leadership is essential for the health of our democracy. We urge party leaders to prioritize constructive dialogue over divisive disputes, to foster unity within their ranks, and to focus on policy development and community engagement rather than internal strife.
14. Conclusion
Gentlemen and ladies, 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. INEC under my leadership will continue to be guided by the provisions of the electoral legal framework comprising of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, the Electoral Act, our regulations and guidelines and practice direction from the Courts.
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.
Ladies and gentlemen, I thank you for your attention and for your commitment to democratic consolidation in our country. God bless the Federal Republic of Nigeria.
Professor Joash O. Amupitan, SAN
Chairman, Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC)
5th February 2026