The commission also announced December 15, 2026, as the date for the publication of the final register of voters, following the ongoing verification and correction of voter information.
INEC Chairman, Prof. Joash Amupitan, gave the assurances on Saturday during an interactive session with commission officials and Resident Electoral Commissioners from the six South-South states in Port Harcourt, Rivers State.
Amupitan maintained that the commission would adhere strictly to the electoral timetable, dismissing suggestions that the forthcoming elections could be shifted.
He said the schedule was backed by law and would not be altered.
“Our statutory timeline is fixed. We will not change anything. The election must hold as scheduled,” he said.
The INEC chairman disclosed that Rivers State would receive particular attention during the preparations because of its large voting population and strategic importance to the electoral process.
He said Rivers had 3,736,434 registered voters, making it the state with the highest number of voters in the South-South region.
Delta State followed with 3,525,988 registered voters, while Edo had 2,865,263. Akwa Ibom recorded 2,566,198, Cross River had 1,928,978, and Bayelsa had 1,200,691.
Amupitan charged electoral officials to ensure that no eligible voter was denied the opportunity to participate because of logistical or operational shortcomings.
He said the commission would prioritise effective planning and deployment of resources, particularly in states with substantial voter populations.
On the ongoing review of the voters’ register, the INEC chairman said the preliminary list had been made available online and at designated centres to enable eligible Nigerians to confirm their details and report discrepancies.
He revealed that the commission had received more than 5,000 applications for corrections, including changes to names and dates of birth, alongside over 600 objections.
According to him, the requests were being processed ahead of the release of the final register.
The chairman further disclosed that INEC had considered introducing a fresh voter revalidation exercise after his assumption of office but eventually dropped the proposal because of concerns that the timing was too close to the general elections.
Expressing confidence in the commission’s preparedness, Amupitan said lessons from recent off-cycle governorship elections, particularly in Osun State, would help strengthen arrangements for the 2027 polls.
He described the Osun election as a significant experience for the commission, noting that it recorded the highest voter turnout in the history of off-cycle governorship elections in Nigeria and received positive assessments from local and international observers despite earlier security concerns.
The INEC chairman said the commission would apply lessons from previous elections to improve the conduct of the forthcoming nationwide polls.
“We will conduct elections that will move the nation forward and not an election that will bring it down,” he said.
On election security, Amupitan said INEC was working with relevant security agencies, including the Nigeria Police Force and the Department of State Services, to protect voters, electoral officials, ad hoc personnel and election materials.
He stressed that providing a secure environment was essential to encouraging voter participation, adding that Nigerians must be able to exercise their franchise without fear.
“We want every part of Nigeria to be calm during the elections so that people can come out to vote. We will not tell them to take their PVCs and then will not guarantee their safety,” he said.
Amupitan also dismissed concerns that artificial intelligence or computer algorithms could determine the outcome of the 2027 elections, insisting that the electorate would have the final say.
“It is the people of Nigeria that will decide the outcome of the elections and not AI or any algorithms,” he stated.
However, he acknowledged the cybersecurity risks associated with emerging technologies, particularly artificial intelligence, and said the commission would explore measures to protect its digital systems against potential attacks.
The INEC chairman also cautioned commission employees and ad hoc personnel, including members of the National Youth Service Corps, against electoral misconduct, warning that anyone found compromising the process would face legal consequences.
He urged officials across the South-South region to discharge their responsibilities with diligence and professionalism, stressing that the credibility of the 2027 general elections would largely depend on their conduct and commitment to duty.
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