The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has said preparations for the 2027 general elections are on course, with nine scheduled activities already completed and the distribution of non-sensitive materials underway.
National Commissioner, Prof. Rhoda Gumus, disclosed this on Thursday, November 12, 2026, at the Commission’s headquarters in Abuja while receiving a delegation from the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) of Kenya.
The delegation, which is on a benchmarking visit to Nigeria, was led by the Kenyan High Commissioner to Nigeria, Mr Isaac Keen Parashina.
Gumus, who represented INEC Chairman, Prof. Joash Amupitan, said Amupitan was out of the country at Chatham House in the United Kingdom, where he was presenting the Commission’s preparations for the polls.
She said the Commission had lined up a number of activities ahead of the elections and was now preparing for the next phase, adding that the Chairman had recently concluded a tour of the six geopolitical zones to assess the level of preparedness, identify challenges and agree on solutions.
“We can see from our tour that we are really going towards the election proper,” she said.
According to her, all non-sensitive materials were almost ready, and some had already been transported to some of the zones as of Thursday.
Gumus also said Permanent Voter Cards (PVCs) had been produced, with most states having received the first and second batches, while collection by registered voters was ongoing.
She stressed the importance of PVC collection, noting that voters without their cards would face a major obstacle on election day.
She added that capacity-building for staff at the headquarters and in the states was ongoing, as well as the procurement and deployment of Bimodal Voter Accreditation System (BVAS) devices.
On diaspora voting, which featured in the discussions, Gumus said the provision was not captured in the extant electoral law and that the Commission could not proceed with it until the law was amended.
She said the Commission had made arrangements for its directors to hold an interactive session with the Kenyan delegation, during which they would present papers on the operations of their respective departments.
“We are open to questions,” she told the visitors.
Earlier, Parashina thanked the Commission for granting the delegation an audience despite its tight schedule ahead of the elections scheduled for January and February next year.
He described the visit as a sign of friendship between both countries and noted that Kenya would hold its own general elections in August next year.
“The success of Nigeria remains a great success to Kenya and indeed to the continent,” he said, describing Nigeria as the biggest democracy in Africa.
The High Commissioner said the IEBC team was in Nigeria to learn from INEC’s experience as Kenya sought to expand voting rights, particularly for Kenyans living abroad.
He said the team was also mapping out how special interest groups could be accommodated in the voting process.
According to him, Kenyans in about 12 countries voted in the last general election, with plans to extend the arrangement to about 26 countries, adding that it was a constitutional requirement reinforced by court rulings that must be implemented progressively.
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