By George Mgbeleke<\/p>\n
The race toward Nigeria\u2019s 2027 general election gathered fresh momentum on Friday as the Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Prof. Joash Amupitan (SAN), delivered a bold assurance that every legitimate vote cast by Nigerians would count, while former Head of State and Chairman of the National Peace Committee (NPC), Gen. Abdulsalami Abubakar (rtd), charged the electoral umpire to remain impartial and ensure justice for every political party.<\/p>\n
The twin declarations came during a high-level visit by the INEC Chairman and members of the Commission\u2019s top management to the Minna residence of the elder statesman, in what has become one of the strongest public affirmations yet of Nigeria\u2019s determination to deliver credible elections ahead of the August 15 Osun governorship election and the 2027 general elections.<\/p>\n
Leading a delegation that included National Commissioners, the Secretary to the Commission, Directors, Technical Aides and senior management officials, Amupitan described the visit as more than a courtesy call, saying it was a \u201cpilgrimage of appreciation\u201d to one of the architects of Nigeria\u2019s democratic journey whose leadership in returning the country to civilian rule in 1999 laid the foundation for the current democratic dispensation.<\/p>\n
He praised Abdulsalami\u2019s stewardship of the National Peace Committee, describing the Peace Accord initiative as one of the most effective instruments for reducing electoral violence and strengthening democratic culture in Nigeria.<\/p>\n
According to the INEC Chairman, the initiative has consistently provided political parties and candidates with a platform to publicly commit themselves to peaceful campaigns and respect for the will of the electorate.<\/p>\n
Amupitan congratulated the former Head of State on his recent 84th birthday, describing him as a national symbol of peace, democratic stability and statesmanship whose influence extends beyond Nigeria to the African continent.<\/p>\n
Turning to preparations for the forthcoming elections, the INEC Chairman reassured Nigerians that despite the enormous operational and legal challenges confronting the Commission, it remains unwavering in its commitment to ensuring that the wishes of voters prevail at the ballot box.<\/p>\n
\u201cOur determination is simple,\u201d he declared. \u201cEvery ordinary Nigerian must be able to go out and vote with confidence, knowing that his or her vote will count and will be reflected in the final outcome of the election.\u201d<\/p>\n
He formally reaffirmed the Commission\u2019s election timetable, announcing that the Presidential and National Assembly elections will be held on January 16, 2027, while the Governorship and State Houses of Assembly elections will take place on February 6, 2027.<\/p>\n
Amupitan also confirmed that the Osun State governorship election remains scheduled for August 15, 2026, with political parties expected to sign the National Peace Accord in Osogbo on July 30.<\/p>\n
The INEC Chairman acknowledged that organizing elections in Nigeria has become increasingly difficult due to incessant pre-election litigation and late court orders that disrupt carefully planned logistics.<\/p>\n
He revealed that the Commission was recently compelled to reconsider already printed ballot papers following a court order directing the inclusion of another political party in the Osun governorship election.<\/p>\n
Just yesterday, my Legal Director informed me of a court order directing us to add another political party after we had already printed ballot papers for Osun State. Those ballot papers will likely have to be canceled and reprinted. These are some of the hurdles we face,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
Despite such setbacks, he insisted that INEC would continue deploying technology, strengthening logistics and improving electoral processes to deliver transparent, inclusive and credible elections capable of restoring public confidence in Nigeria\u2019s democracy.<\/p>\n
Responding, Gen. Abdulsalami Abubakar acknowledged the enormous burden carried by the electoral commission, describing the office of the INEC Chairman as one of the most difficult and scrutinized positions in the country.<\/p>\n
He warned that regardless of the Commission\u2019s decisions, political actors would always attempt to question its neutrality whenever election outcomes fail to favour them.<\/p>\n
\u201cYour appointment is very critical to our democratic setting,\u201d the former Head of State said.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhatever you and your commissioners do, you will stand accused of bias one way or another. If anybody loses an election, INEC becomes the whipping child.\u201d<\/p>\n
He, however, expressed confidence in Prof. Amupitan\u2019s leadership and urged him not to succumb to pressure or intimidation from political interests.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe INEC Chairman cannot do this job alone, but the buck stops with you. You must abide by the oath you took. Do justice to all and sundry. All political parties belong to you. You have no political party of your own,\u201d Abdulsalami declared.<\/p>\n
He advised the Commission to remain focused, ignore distractions and preserve its independence, stressing that Nigeria\u2019s democratic future depends largely on the credibility and impartiality of its electoral management body.
\nOur democracy depends on all of you,\u201d he said, while assuring the Commission of the National Peace Committee\u2019s continued support.<\/p>\n
The elder statesman disclosed that the National Peace Committee would hold a strategic meeting in Abuja on July 29, ahead of the signing of the Osun Peace Accord on July 30, describing the Osun election as an important dress rehearsal for the 2027 general election.<\/p>\n
Earlier in the day, Amupitan had addressed management and staff of the INEC Niger State office, where he issued a stern warning against corruption, misconduct and compromise.<\/p>\n
He reminded electoral officers that they are the Commission\u2019s ambassadors at the grassroots and that Nigerians, the African Union and the wider international community would closely scrutinize the conduct of the 2027 elections.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe whole world is watching Nigeria. You cannot afford to fail,\u201d he told staff, urging them to work selflessly, maintain professionalism and ensure every vote cast is protected.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
By George Mgbeleke The race toward Nigeria\u2019s 2027 general election gathered fresh momentum on Friday as the Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Prof. Joash Amupitan (SAN), delivered a bold assurance that every legitimate vote cast by Nigerians would count, while former Head of State and Chairman of the National Peace Committee (NPC), […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":15959,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[4],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-15958","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-politics"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/dailyechoes.ng\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/15958","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/dailyechoes.ng\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/dailyechoes.ng\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dailyechoes.ng\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dailyechoes.ng\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=15958"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/dailyechoes.ng\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/15958\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":15961,"href":"https:\/\/dailyechoes.ng\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/15958\/revisions\/15961"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dailyechoes.ng\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/15959"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/dailyechoes.ng\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=15958"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dailyechoes.ng\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=15958"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dailyechoes.ng\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=15958"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}