The House of Representatives has directed the Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Prof. Joash Amupitan, to appear before its Committee on Electoral Matters within seven legislative days to explain the commission’s preparedness for the 2027 general elections, amid concerns that insecurity could disenfranchise voters in affected areas.
The lawmakers want INEC to provide a comprehensive update on its preparations, including Continuous Voter Registration (CVR), Permanent Voter Cards (PVCs), election logistics, deployment of technology, personnel training, electoral security and funding.
The commission is also expected to present its risk assessment strategies, budget implementation status and lessons learnt from the recent governorship elections in Ekiti and Osun states.
The resolution followed a motion sponsored by the Minority Whip, Mansur Manu Soro, and the Deputy Minority Leader, Abdulsamad Dasuki, during Wednesday’s plenary.
Although the sponsors initially sought to have Amupitan brief the entire House at plenary, the proposal was opposed by the Deputy Speaker, Benjamin Kalu, who argued that such a move could undermine the authority of the committee responsible for overseeing INEC.
Kalu said the commission’s chairman had recently briefed the nation on its preparations for the 2027 elections, insisting that the House should allow its relevant committee to conduct the necessary oversight.
“While I agree that such oversight should be carried out, I believe that the oversight should be by the committee of the House that has been given this responsibility,” he said.
He questioned the need to invite the INEC chairman to address the entire House when a committee had already been mandated to examine the commission’s activities.
“Don’t we believe in our committees again? Our committees are there, charged with the responsibility. The chairman and members of this committee are well-educated and well-informed to carry out their duties,” Kalu added.
Speaker of the House, Tajudeen Abbas, clarified that the parliament was not opposed to inviting the INEC chairman but insisted that the briefing should take place before the Committee on Electoral Matters rather than at plenary.
He directed the committee to publicise the date of Amupitan’s appearance to enable interested lawmakers to attend and ask questions.
“The committee should invite the chairman and should advertise the date of his appearance so that members who want to attend and ask questions can do so,” Abbas said.
Presenting the motion, Soro said Sections 76, 116, 132 and 178 of the 1999 Constitution, as amended, alongside the relevant provisions of the Constitution and the Electoral Act, 2026, mandate INEC to organise, undertake and supervise elections into elective offices in Nigeria.
He said the credibility, transparency and acceptability of the 2027 general elections would depend largely on the commission’s preparedness in voter registration, logistics, technology deployment, personnel training, security coordination, funding and timely implementation of the election timetable.
According to him, the recent governorship elections in Ekiti and Osun provided important lessons on election administration, technology deployment, logistics management, stakeholder engagement, security and voter participation that should inform preparations for the nationwide polls.
Soro expressed concern over reports of operational challenges at Continuous Voter Registration centres, including inadequate registration equipment, insufficient personnel, network disruptions, prolonged waiting times and rising demand from citizens seeking to register or update their voter records.
He warned that the challenges could disproportionately affect first-time voters, rural residents, persons with disabilities, students and workers, thereby limiting the participation of eligible Nigerians if urgent interventions were not made.
The lawmaker said early preparations were essential to ensure the timely procurement of election materials, deployment of technology, recruitment and training of electoral officials, voter education, security planning and nationwide logistics.
He further warned that delays in addressing gaps in registration, logistics, technology and funding could undermine public confidence and threaten the peaceful conduct of the 2027 elections.
The motion also highlighted the National Assembly’s constitutional oversight responsibility to ensure that public institutions entrusted with critical national assignments were adequately prepared, properly funded and accountable.
In his contribution, Dasuki said the proposed briefing was necessary in view of the worsening security situation across the country and the potential consequences for electoral participation.
He said the 2027 elections would be taking place against the backdrop of significant security concerns, adding that lawmakers had presented about 255 security-related motions.
Dasuki expressed concern that some federal constituencies and polling units might be unable to participate in the elections because of insecurity, insisting that INEC must explain how it intended to address the situation.
He maintained that the commission’s chairman was in the best position to provide answers on how the electoral body would safeguard participation and prevent eligible voters in troubled areas from being disenfranchised.
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