INEC SAYS PREPARATIONS FOR 2027 ELECTIONS ON COURSE AS KENYAN ELECTORAL BODY VISITS ON BENCHMARKING MISSION
The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has said preparations for next year's general elections are progressing steadily, with nine of its scheduled activities already completed.
National Commissioner, Prof. Rhoda Gumus, disclosed this on Thursday 12th November, 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 in Nigeria on a benchmarking visit, was led by the Kenyan High Commissioner to Nigeria, Mr Isaac Keen Parashina.
Prof. Gumus, who represented the INEC Chairman, Prof. Joash Amupitan, said the Chairman was out of the country at the Chatham House in the United Kingdom, where he is presenting the Commission's preparations for the elections.
She said the Commission had lined up a number of activities ahead of the polls and was preparing for the next phase.
According to her, the Chairman recently toured the six geopolitical zones of the country to assess their level of preparedness, identify challenges and agree on solutions. The tour, she said, was concluded last week.
"We can see from our tour that we are really going towards the election proper," she said.
Prof. Gumus disclosed that all non-sensitive materials were almost ready, adding that some had already been transported to some of the zones on Thursday.
She said Permanent Voter Cards (PVCs) had been produced and that most states had 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.
The National Commissioner also said capacity building for staff, both at the headquarters and in the states, was ongoing, as was the procurement and deployment of the Bimodal Voter Accreditation System (BVAS) devices.
On diaspora voting, which featured in the discussions, Prof. Gumus said the provision was not captured in the extant electoral law and 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, adding that the directors would provide the information the delegation needed.
Earlier, Mr Parashina thanked the Commission for granting the delegation audience despite its tight schedule ahead of the elections, which are expected in January and February next year.
He described the visit as a sign of the 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 the Commission'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. He explained that this was a constitutional requirement, reinforced by court rulings that must be implemented progressively.
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