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The Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Prof. Joash Amupitan, has disclosed that the North-East zone accounts for 13,965,475 registered voters, representing 13.51 per cent of Nigeria’s total registered voter population of more than 103 million, as the commission completes its data-cleaning exercise following the conclusion of the Continuous Voter Registration (CVR) exercise.

Amupitan disclosed this while leading a readiness assessment visit to Gombe State as the commission intensified preparations for the 2027 general election.

The assessment brought together national commissioners, resident electoral commissioners from six North-East states and senior commission officials for an interactive session with field officers on their level of preparedness.

Speaking at the meeting, Amupitan said the visit was part of the commission’s deliberate strategy of engaging directly with electoral personnel across the country to assess operational readiness, identify gaps and strengthen preparations.

He noted that the nationwide assessment tour began in Lagos on September 7, 2026, covering the South-West, continued in Kaduna on September 28 for the North-West, and proceeded to Enugu on October 20 for the South-East before arriving in Gombe on October 26 for the North-East.

According to the INEC chairman, the exercise underscored the importance of direct engagement with officials responsible for implementing electoral plans at the grassroots.

‘The true integrity of an election is not determined in the air-conditioned conference rooms of Abuja; it is forged in the field,’ Amupitan said, stressing that electoral credibility depended on personnel preparedness, the functionality of operational facilities and effective coordination of election activities.

In his welcome address, the Resident Electoral Commissioner for Gombe State, Mukhtar Gajiram Umar, outlined the state’s electoral structure and the commission’s ongoing preparations.

Umar said Gombe had three senatorial districts, six federal constituencies, 24 state constituencies, 114 registration areas and 2,988 polling units.

He put the state’s registered voter population at 1,768,566 following the recently concluded CVR exercise, ahead of the completion of the Automated Biometric Identification System process.

He disclosed that, with the activation of the INECPRES portal, recruitment of ad hoc election personnel had commenced, while training for different categories of election officials was also underway.

Umar further disclosed that the ICT and Voter Registration Department had commenced preliminary technical checks on equipment and infrastructure required for the 2027 elections.

The activities, he explained, were designed to identify technical challenges, assess the condition of election equipment and ensure the availability and functionality of the necessary information and communication technology infrastructure before election day.

Addressing the security situation in the North-East, the INEC chairman said the safety of voters, election personnel and observers remained fundamental to the credibility of the electoral process.

He emphasised that effective election planning must be supported by adequate security arrangements, noting that INEC would continue to work with relevant security agencies through the Inter-Agency Consultative Committee on Election Security (ICCES).

Amupitan urged electoral officials to familiarise themselves with the Electoral Act 2026, the Regulations and Guidelines for the Conduct of Elections 2026, and relevant operational manuals.

He also charged staff to uphold neutrality and professionalism, resist political pressure, financial inducement, intimidation and ethnic bias, and ensure that all electoral activities were properly documented.

The Director of Planning and Monitoring, Helen Ajayi, said the zonal exercise was designed to determine the level of preparedness across states and identify operational challenges that could affect the successful conduct of the 2027 elections.

She explained that the engagement would also reinforce compliance with the commission’s Code of Conduct and ensure that personnel across the zone understood their responsibilities ahead of the polls.

During the session, directors and representatives of the Voter Education and Publicity, Voter Registry, ICT, Human Resources, and Election and Operations departments made presentations on their respective areas of responsibility.

The House of Representatives, during Tuesday’s plenary, urged the Federal Government to establish a transparent, competitive, and non-discriminatory licensing and approval framework for the commercial importation of Electric Vehicles (EVs), Compressed Natural Gas (CNG) vehicles, and related clean mobility equipment.

The resolution followed the adoption of a motion sponsored by the Chairman of the House Committee on Public Assets, Hon. Ademorin Kuye, who commended the present administration’s commitment to policies promoting the transition to cleaner transportation technologies as part of its energy transition and economic diversification agenda.

In his lead debate, Hon. Kuye acknowledged the Federal Government’s efforts to encourage the adoption of Electric Vehicles, CNG-powered vehicles, Liquefied Petroleum Gas (LPG) vehicles, and other clean transportation technologies, noting that the policy direction could create opportunities for investment, technological advancement, and economic growth.

The lawmaker also recognized the fiscal incentives introduced by the Federal Government, including import duty concessions and tax reliefs aimed at encouraging investment in clean mobility technologies and improving access to the infrastructure required to support their adoption.

He, however, stressed the need to ensure that such incentives translate into tangible investments in charging infrastructure, CNG refueling stations, maintenance centres, spare parts supply chains, technical expertise, and after-sales support.

‘The House is convinced that Nigeria has the opportunity to encourage local investment, technology transfer, employment generation, and domestic value addition by linking import incentives to measurable investments in infrastructure and technical capacity,’ Kuye said.

Some lawmakers who spoke in support of the motion, including Hon. Stanley Adedeji, backed the need for a regulatory framework that would promote investment in clean transportation while ensuring that importers contribute to developing the country’s automotive industry and supporting infrastructure.

Consequently, the House urged the National Automotive Design and Development Council (NADDC), in collaboration with the Bureau of Public Procurement (BPP), Standards Organisation of Nigeria (SON), Nigeria Customs Service (NCS), and other relevant agencies, to develop objective qualification criteria for companies seeking approval to import EVs, CNG vehicles, and associated equipment.

The lawmakers further called on relevant regulatory agencies to ensure that import approvals are granted only to companies that satisfy clearly defined eligibility requirements. These include, where applicable, establishing certified service and maintenance centres in Nigeria, providing genuine spare parts and warranty support, and employing and training qualified Nigerian technical personnel.

Other requirements outlined by the House include investments in EV charging infrastructure and/or CNG refueling facilities, compliance with Nigerian safety, environmental, and technical standards, as well as the submission of consumer protection and after-sales service plans.

To strengthen accountability and public confidence, the House urged the NADDC to maintain a public register of approved importers and infrastructure providers, insisting that the approval process must remain open, competitive, transparent, and non-discriminatory.

The lawmakers maintained that no qualified company should be denied approval or subjected to undue preference once it has met the prescribed standards, adding that regulatory requirements should encourage healthy competition while protecting consumers and promoting sustainable investment in the sector.

The House also urged the Federal Government to align tax incentives, import duty concessions, and other fiscal benefits with compliance under the proposed regulatory framework, stressing that such incentives should support sustained investment in local infrastructure, technical capacity, and domestic value addition.

To ensure implementation, the House mandated its joint Committees on Industry, Commerce, Gas Resources, Environment, and Legislative Compliance to monitor compliance with the resolution and report back within four weeks for further legislative action.