The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has sought the backing of traditional rulers to raise voter turnout and curb political tension ahead of the 2027 General Election.
INEC Chairman, Prof. Joash O. Amupitan, SAN, made the call on Tuesday when he led the Commission’s leadership on a courtesy visit to the Oba of Lagos, His Royal Majesty Oba Riliwanu Babatunde Osuolale Aremu Akiolu, at the Iga Idunganran Palace.
The visit marked the beginning of INEC’s South-West Zonal Readiness Assessment and Staff Interactive Session, with Lagos serving as the Commission’s first stop in its nationwide engagement across the six geopolitical zones.
Amupitan said Lagos was chosen because of the strategic importance of the South-West to Nigeria’s electoral and democratic development, adding that the exercise would assess the Commission’s preparedness while strengthening engagement with traditional institutions.
He said INEC was working towards a technologically driven, transparent and inclusive election, with improvements to systems such as online voter registration and result management.
The Chairman, who formally presented the 2027 election dates to the monarch, said the Presidential and National Assembly elections would hold on January 16, 2027, while the Governorship and State Houses of Assembly elections would take place on February 6, 2027.
Amupitan, who maintained that technology could not replace citizens’ participation, urged traditional rulers to mobilise eligible Nigerians to register, complete the required voter processes and collect their Permanent Voter Cards.
“Technology alone cannot build a democracy; people do,” he said, stressing the need for citizens to take ownership of the electoral process.
The INEC Chairman also appealed to the Oba of Lagos and the Lagos Traditional Council to help promote issue-based campaigns as political activities gather pace, while discouraging character assassination, hate speech, inflammatory rhetoric and campaigns of calumny.
He said political actors should focus on policies and issues rather than personalities, adding that protecting the peace of Lagos and Nigeria should take priority over individual political ambitions.
Amupitan said the readiness assessment also covered INEC personnel, noting that Resident Electoral Commissioners, Electoral Officers and Heads of Departments across the South-West had been reminded of the laws and regulations guiding elections.
He charged them to maintain professionalism, neutrality and impartiality in the discharge of their responsibilities, saying the Commission remained committed to an election capable of strengthening public confidence and national unity.
Responding, Akiolu welcomed the commencement of the readiness assessment in Lagos and expressed optimism about the success of INEC under Amupitan’s leadership.
The monarch urged the INEC Chairman and National Commissioners to remain honest and steadfast in their responsibilities, while calling on politicians to move away from short-term patronage and embrace genuine capacity building.
Akiolu also backed issue-based campaigns devoid of hate speech and inflammatory rhetoric, urging traditional rulers to continue guiding their communities and encouraging citizens to exercise their democratic franchise.
He appealed to the Federal Government to provide adequate and timely funding for the elections, stressing that INEC should have the resources required to discharge its constitutional mandate.