INEC Clears Air on Preferred Candidate, Party as 2027 Election Campaigns Begin
- INEC Chairman Prof. Joash Amupitan signed the First National Peace Accord on Issue-Based Campaigns in Abuja on Tuesday
- Amupitan pledged the commission would act as an impartial umpire, managing over 1.4 million ad hoc staff across 176,000 polling units
- The INEC boss issued a strong warning against misinformation, identity-based provocations, and use of private armed groups ahead of 2027
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The Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Prof. Joash Amupitan, has pledged that the commission will not take sides in the 2027 general elections, saying it has no preference for any candidate or party.
Amupitan made the declaration on Tuesday, August 19, 2026, in Abuja during the formal signing of the First National Peace Accord on Issue-Based Campaigns. The event was organised by the National Peace Committee in partnership with the Kukah Centre, one day before presidential and National Assembly campaigns officially kicked off.
Source: Twitter
He described INEC's role as that of an "uncompromising, impartial umpire" committed to giving all contestants equal footing throughout the electoral process as campaigns for the 2027 general elections officially begin on Wednesday, August 19.
INEC urges issue-based campaigns
The INEC chairman called on political parties and candidates to focus their campaigns on matters that directly affect the lives of ordinary Nigerians rather than trading personal attacks or using language that could incite violence. He described elections as "competitive job interviews before the electorate," adding that voters deserved concrete debates on economic growth, national security, infrastructure, healthcare, education and social inclusion, with clear and measurable proposals from all contestants.
Amupitan also raised concern over the growing threat of misinformation and disinformation, warning that unverified or premature declarations of results could trigger public panic and damage confidence in the electoral process. He specifically cautioned political parties, their digital media teams, and online supporters against spreading false information.
Beyond online conduct, the chairman warned against incitement, provocation along ethnic or identity lines, and the deployment of private armed groups, noting that such conduct could undermine the credibility of the elections even before a single vote is cast.
INEC scales up logistics for 2027
On operational readiness, Amupitan said INEC was scaling up its capacity to manage roughly 1.4 million ad hoc personnel across more than 176,000 polling units nationwide. He noted that the commission had spent the past eight months improving its technology, logistics and personnel training, drawing lessons from recent governorship elections in Anambra, the FCT, Ekiti and Osun states.
He added that fresh transparency measures were being introduced into the result-management process specifically for 2027, though he did not provide further details on what those measures would entail.
Amupitan closed his remarks by urging all political actors to compete with energy but without violence, stressing that a credible outcome depends on the cooperation of every stakeholder in the process.
INEC declares Adeleke winner of Osun governorship election
Legit.ng earlier reported that Ademola Adeleke, the governor of Osun state, has been declared the winner of the 2026 Osun state governorship election.
Adeleke, who won the election on the platform of the Accord Party, was followed by his rival in the APC, Bola Oyebamiji.
The full results, as announced by INEC, showed that the candidate of the ADC in the election, Najeem Salam, came a distant third.
Source: Legit.ng
