2027 Polls: INEC Can’t Build Robust Democracy in Isolation, Declares Amupitan

• Vows to deliver credible, transparent, inclusive poll to reflect people’s will in Osun

Yinka Kolawole in Osogbo and Adedayo Akinwale in Abuja

Chairman of the  Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Prof. Joash Amupitan, has said the commission could not build a robust democracy in isolation, saying its partnership with the National Orientation Agency (NOA) on voter education was not a secondary option but an absolute necessity.

This was as the Osun State Resident Electoral Commissioner, Mrs. Oluwatoyin Babalola has declared that the Commission was fully aware of its mandate to deliver a free, fair, credible, inclusive and transparent election that would accurately reflect the will of the people of Osun State.

The Chairman stated this yesterday in Abuja while playing host to the Director General of NOA, Mallam Lanre Issa-onilu.

He stated: “When we look at the landscape of our nation today as we prepare for the 2027 general election, it becomes immediately clear that INEC cannot build a robust democracy in isolation.

“We can purchase the finest Bimodal Voter Accreditation System (BVAS) machines, we can optimise the INEC Result Viewing Portal (IReV) to international standards, and we can map out the most logistical routes for material deployment.

“But all of these technological and administrative triumphs mean nothing if the citizens remain detached, uniform, cynical, or completely uneducated about the power of their votes.

“This is where the National Orientation Agency comes in. The NOA is, without a doubt, Nigeria’s premier organisation for civic orientation.”

Amupitan noted that while INEC was the umpire that set up the field and managed the game,  NOA was the custodian of the values that made the players and the spectators respect the rules.

According to him, “You speak the languages of our people, you understand their local fears, and you know how to navigate the cultural nuances that shape public opinion.”

This, he said, was consistent with the duties and powers under section 3 of the National Orientation Agency Act of 1993. The relevant portions are sections 3(d), 3(e), (i) & (k).

Amupitan noted: “Therefore, our partnership with you on voter education is not a secondary option; it is an absolute necessity.

“We must be honest with ourselves. We are battling a silent, dangerous enemy in our electoral ecosystem: voter apathy and deep-seated cynicism. We see it in the off-cycle polls where turnout does not match the energy of our national conversations.”

Osun: INEC Vows to Deliver Credible, Inclusive Poll That’ll Reflect People’s Will

Osun State Resident Electoral Commissioner, Mrs. Oluwatoyin Babalola has vowed that the Commission was aware of its mandate to deliver a free, fair, credible, inclusive and transparent election that would accurately reflect the will of the people of Osun State.

The Commissioner, who stated this at a press conference on the level of preparedness ahead of the  2026 Osun State governorship election noted that Osun State had 1,954,800 registered voters before the CVR exercise.

Speaking on the operational activities aside from statutory activities, the Commissioner emphasised that a number of other pre-election operational activities would be executed in preparation for the election to ensure the conduct of credible, free, fair, peaceful, transparent, and inclusive election in Osun State.

She stressed that some of  the key areas of preparations included identification of flash points and difficult terrain, while INEC was fully prepared to work closely with all security agencies.