INEC Chairman: Party Disputes Won’t Stop 2027 Elections

The Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Joash Amupitan, has said disputes within political parties and pending court cases over party primaries will not prevent the conduct of the 2027 general elections.

Amupitan made the statement during a panel session at the sixth edition of the Conference and Retreat for Senior Police Officers in Owerri, Imo State. The event focused on developing a police roadmap for effective security management during elections.

According to the INEC chairman, elections are contested by political parties rather than individual candidates, meaning ongoing litigation involving party primaries would not stop parties from participating in the election.

He said the commission would comply with whatever decisions emerge from the courts, including cases that proceed through the final appellate level.

“Whichever decision comes out at the end of the day, INEC will abide by it,” Amupitan said.

Amupitan also reaffirmed INEC’s commitment to conducting transparent elections, saying the commission does not predetermine electoral results. He said the commission was working with the Nigeria Police Force to identify and arrest those responsible for pre-election violence, particularly in states facing security challenges.

The INEC chairman identified insecurity as one of the commission’s major concerns ahead of 2027, warning that violence in some parts of the country could prevent eligible Nigerians from participating in the elections. He said INEC was working with the police, as the lead agency for election security, to develop strategies for conducting polls in volatile areas.

Amupitan also called on political parties and candidates to focus their campaigns on issues rather than personal attacks. He said INEC was working with law-enforcement agencies to ensure that people found culpable of electoral offences are arrested, investigated and prosecuted under the Electoral Act.