Can INEC’s Amupitan Build on Anambra, Ekiti and Osun Ahead of 2027?

Nigeria’s elections have long tested public trust in democracy. Disputed results, violence, vote-buying, intimidation and logistical failures have often overshadowed the constitutional promise that every vote should count. Yet the 1993 and 2015 elections showed that credible polls are possible when institutions are prepared and political actors respect the process. Since Prof. Joash Ojo Amupitan became INEC chairman in 2025, the commission’s handling of the Anambra, Ekiti and Osun elections has raised cautious optimism. The polls featured stronger logistical preparation, improved use of BVAS and faster uploading of polling-unit results to IReV. Independent observers also reported that the Osun result broadly aligned with their statistical projections, although concerns over vote-buying, isolated violence and low turnout remained. The 2027 general election will be a far tougher national test. INEC must show that the discipline and transparency seen in off-cycle elections can work across every state, including remote communities. Prompt result transmission, reduced logistical failures, protection for officials and firm action against vote-buying will be essential. INEC’s duty is not to decide winners but to ensure that Nigerians can do so through a transparent and defensible process. Whether recent progress becomes a lasting electoral transformation will be decided at polling units across the country in January and February 2027.

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