INEC introduces election watch system ahead of 2027 polls

The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has announced plans to introduce a real-time monitoring system to track its preparations for the 2027 General Election across the 36 states and the Federal Capital Territory.

INEC Chairman, Prof. Joash Amupitan, disclosed this on Monday during the opening of a two-day strategic workshop for Administrative Secretaries held in Lagos.

Amupitan said the commission would develop a standard operational tracker that would provide up-to-date information on election preparations, including the movement of materials, training of ad hoc personnel and the level of readiness in each state.

According to him, the system will be connected to INEC’s Election Monitoring and Support Centre dashboard as well as the commission’s Election Project Plan.

He explained that the initiative was designed to improve coordination and help the commission move from responding to problems after they occur to preventing them before election day.

‘This will enable us to move from reactive responses to proactive management,’ Amupitan said.

The INEC chairman noted that the commission previously lacked a uniform system for tracking the operational responsibilities of its Administrative Secretaries across the country.

He said the new system would allow Resident Electoral Commissioners, supervising National Commissioners and INEC headquarters to have immediate access to information on the progress of preparations nationwide.

Amupitan added that the tracker would remain part of INEC’s operational framework beyond the 2027 election cycle.

The development comes as INEC prepares for an election expected to involve a voter register approaching 100 million registered voters.

The commission said the workshop would focus on key areas including Continuous Voter Registration, logistics management, electoral technology, recruitment of ad hoc staff and financial compliance.

Amupitan also said INEC was applying lessons from recent off-cycle elections, including the Osun State governorship election, where he claimed logistics and technology systems performed effectively.

He added that the commission’s goal was to achieve the same level of efficiency nationwide ahead of the 2027 general elections.

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