The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has taken a major step in consolidating Nigeria’s electoral integrity framework and renewing its institutional drive to strengthen procurement systems as a critical pillar of credible elections.
In a Monday statement posted on its official X handle, INEC disclosed that the development was the highlight of a three-day high-level capacity building workshop for National Electoral Commissioners and the Commission’s Management, held in Lagos in collaboration with the Konrad-Adenauer-Stiftung (KAS).
The INEC Chairman, Prof. Joash Amupitan, described the engagement as a defining moment in the Commission’s reform trajectory, coming at a time of significant legal and operational adjustments within Nigeria’s electoral system.
Amupitan, who was represented by National Commissioner, Mrs May Agbamuche-Mbu, stated that the Commission’s mandate extends beyond the conduct of elections to safeguarding the entire democratic ecosystem through systems that are transparent, accountable, and resilient.
The INEC Chairman, while declaring the workshop open, reflected on the journey since he assumed the leadership role, noting that the Commission had gathered exactly 159 days into his tenure.
He described this period as a watershed moment in Nigeria’s democratic evolution, one that demands a fundamental reimagining of how the Commission approaches its responsibilities.
Read Also
“My primary mandate, and indeed our collective burden, is to ensure that the electoral architecture of Nigeria is not just robust in theory but strong in practice,” the Chairman stated. “We must move beyond the rhetoric of reform to the reality of implementation. This is why this workshop is not a mere routine gathering but a strategic intervention designed to equip the leadership of this Commission with the tools, knowledge, and foresight required to navigate the complex terrain ahead.”
Prof. Amupitan emphasised that the credibility of Nigeria’s elections rests on a foundation of meticulous planning, transparent processes, and accountable systems, noting that procurement, often relegated to the background in discussions about electoral integrity, stressing that it is an invisible architecture upon which successful elections are built.
“When procurement is handled with integrity, it becomes the bedrock of public confidence. When it is compromised, it becomes the fault line through which trust collapses,” he said. “Our responsibility is not limited to election day activities. It encompasses the entire electoral value chain—from planning and logistics to procurement and deployment. Each component must function optimally to guarantee credible, transparent, and verifiable elections.”
The Chairman further underscored the significance of the recent enactment of the Electoral Act 2026, which he described as a landmark legislative intervention that has fundamentally recalibrated the Commission’s operational framework.
Amupitan emphasised that the amendment to Clause 28, which reduced the mandatory notice period for elections from 360 to 300 days, represents a paradigm shift that demands unprecedented speed and critical precision from the Commission.
“This compressed timeline is not a challenge to be lamented but a reality to be mastered,” Prof. Amupitan declared. “It requires us to work with the efficiency of a well-calibrated machine, where every component, procurement, logistics, training, and deployment operates in seamless synchrony. There is no room for delay, no margin for error, and no excuse for complacency.”
