ECOWAS mission engages Nigeria’s electoral commission ahead of 2027 elections

The Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) Pre-Election Fact-Finding Mission has held consultations with Nigeria’s Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) as part of efforts to assess the country's preparedness for the 2027 general elections.

The meeting, held at INEC's headquarters in Abuja, focused on measures to ensure credible, transparent and peaceful elections.

The ECOWAS delegation was led by former Vice President of Sierra Leone, Victor Bockarie Foh, who heads the Pre-Election Fact-Finding Mission.

It was received by INEC Chairman, Prof. Joash Amupitan, alongside national commissioners and senior officials of the commission.

The consultations covered key issues that could affect the credibility of the elections, including misinformation and disinformation, artificial intelligence-generated content, cybersecurity, electoral funding, youth participation and voter education.

The two sides also discussed election logistics, security arrangements and stakeholder communication.

The ECOWAS delegation emphasised the need for electoral authorities to act on security assessments and early-warning information to prevent potential threats before, during and after the elections.

It also stressed the importance of protecting electoral officials and voters while ensuring timely and transparent communication of electoral procedures and results.

In his remarks, Prof. Amupitan reaffirmed INEC's commitment to impartiality, transparency and compliance with Nigeria's electoral laws.

He maintained that the commission would not favour any candidate or political party in the conduct of the elections.

The INEC chairman also outlined progress in the continuous voter registration exercise and preparations to publish the final voters' register.

He said the commission was improving its Bimodal Voter Accreditation System (BVAS) and INEC Result Viewing Portal (IReV) to strengthen the electoral process.

Prof. Amupitan added that lessons from recent off-cycle elections, planned mock accreditation exercises, improved welfare for electoral personnel and stronger accountability mechanisms would inform preparations for the 2027 polls.

He further highlighted plans to strengthen cooperation with security agencies and other stakeholders to improve election management and operational coordination.

The consultations form part of ECOWAS' efforts to assess electoral preparedness and identify potential risks ahead of elections in member states.