2027 Election Will Reflect the Sovereign Will of Nigerians- INEC
The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has pledged that the outcome of Nigeria’s 2027 General Election will reflect the sovereign will of the Nigerian electorate, as the Commission intensifies preparations for a transparent, credible, inclusive and peaceful poll.
The Acting Chairman of INEC, Prof. Rhoda Gumus, gave the assurance on Tuesday, September 15, 2026, when she received the African Union (AU) Pre-Election Needs Assessment Mission at the Commission’s headquarters in Abuja.
The AU delegation, led by former Ethiopian Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs,Demeke Mekonnen, is in Nigeria to assess the country’s electoral preparedness and identify areas where additional technical and institutional support may be required ahead of the 2027 elections.
Gumus described the AU mission as an important opportunity for peer assessment, institutional learning and strengthening of Nigeria’s electoral system at a critical stage of the country’s democratic process.
She said the engagement should not be treated as a mere formality, but as a mechanism for strengthening institutional resilience and public confidence in the electoral process.
According to her, INEC has commenced extensive operational, technological and logistical preparations to ensure that all eligible Nigerians can participate effectively in the 2027 election.
She said the Commission was also drawing lessons from recent off-cycle elections in Anambra, the Federal Capital Territory, Ekiti and Osun states to improve future electoral operations.
Gumus identified areas where AU technical support would be particularly valuable, including digital training for ad hoc election personnel, tackling election related disinformation and deepfakes, strengthening the Election Monitoring and Support Centre, and improving inclusion and gender mainstreaming frameworks.
She stressed that electoral integrity was a collective responsibility involving INEC, political parties, civil society organisations, security agencies, the media, development partners and the electorate.
The Acting Chairman further reaffirmed the Commission’s independence, neutrality and professional commitment to the electoral process.
She said that under the current Commission led by Prof. Joash Amupitan, SAN, administrative decisions would be guided by the law, technological deployments would promote transparency, and the final outcome of the 2027 General Election would reflect the sovereign will of Nigerians.
Speaking on the purpose of the AU mission, Mekonnen said the delegation’s engagement was supportive and consultative, aimed at assessing preparations already underway, identifying gaps and risks, and exploring areas for possible technical assistance.
He said the mission would engage INEC and other stakeholders on key aspects of electoral preparedness, including voter registration and register integrity, electoral technology, logistics, funding, inclusion, transparency, dispute resolution, security coordination and results management.
Mekonnen also reaffirmed the African Union’s commitment to working with Nigeria in strengthening democratic governance and electoral processes across the continent.
