Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Prof. Joash Amupitan, has said every bye-election conducted by the Commission provides an opportunity to assess its readiness for the 2027 general elections.
In a statement signed by his Chief Press Secretary, Adedayo Oketola, Amupitan described Saturday’s bye-elections in Gombe, Kano, Bauchi and Delta states as crucial operational benchmarks for testing the nation’s electoral infrastructure.
The four legislative bye-elections were held in the Gombe/Kwami/Funakaye Federal Constituency of Gombe State; Dawakin Kudu State Constituency of Kano State; Sakwa and Disina State Constituencies of Bauchi State; and Udu State Constituency of Delta State.
Amupitan said no electoral contest should be regarded as trivial or routine, stressing that every off-cycle poll serves as an important dress rehearsal for nationwide elections.
He said the four bye-elections would provide ‘indispensable operational lessons’ for the Commission as it systematically charts its roadmap towards the 2027 General Election.
‘We must resist the temptation to view any exercise as merely an ordinary bye-election. Every election is a critical component of our broader preparations for the 2027 General Election, allowing us to continuously audit our logistics framework, stress-test our technological deployment, and evaluate administrative field readiness.’
Amupitan reassured Nigerians of the Commission’s resolve to uphold electoral integrity, noting that operational bottlenecks encountered before polling were swiftly identified and resolved.
‘Our primary mandate in the Situation Room is monitoring and proactive crisis resolution. Whatever administrative or field challenges arose before the day of the elections, the Commission was able to nip them in the bud effectively. We remain committed to refining our processes so that every subsequent exercise reflects higher standards of efficiency and public confidence.’
He thanked everyone present in the situation room, especially the technical team, for ensuring the Commission was able to monitor the multi-state exercise seamlessly and assess the field performance without any hitch.