The Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, has said pending court cases arising from political party primaries will not stop the conduct of the 2027 general elections.
INEC Chairman, Joash Amupitan, said this during a panel session at the sixth edition of the Conference and Retreat for Senior Police Officers held in Owerri, Imo State.
The programme was themed, “Developing a Nigeria Police Roadmap for Effective Management of Security During Elections.”
According to a statement issued on Wednesday by Amupitan’s Chief Press Secretary, Adedayo Oketola, the INEC chairman said elections were contested by political parties rather than individual candidates.
He said ongoing litigation would not prevent a party from participating in the election, noting that the commission would comply with the final decisions of the courts.
“Whichever decision comes out at the end of the day, INEC will abide by it,” Amupitan said.
He said several cases relating to political party primaries were currently before the courts and would be resolved through the judicial process up to the final appellate level, as provided by the Electoral Act.
Amupitan also reaffirmed INEC’s commitment to conducting transparent elections, saying the commission does not predetermine election results.
On election security, the INEC chairman identified insecurity in some parts of the country as a major concern ahead of the 2027 polls, warning that violence could prevent some Nigerians from exercising their right to vote.
“There are still some states in Nigeria that you have a lot of insecurity around, and it’s a major source of concern for us. Because that can be a source of disenfranchisement of Nigerians, and we don’t want any Nigerian to be disenfranchised,” he said.
He said INEC was working with the Nigeria Police Force, the lead agency for election security, to develop strategies for conducting elections in volatile areas.
Amupitan further raised concerns over personality-based politics and intolerance among political actors, urging political parties and candidates to focus their campaigns on issues rather than attacking opponents.
“Elections should be based on issues, not campaigns of calumny and denigration,” he said.
He added that INEC was collaborating with law enforcement agencies to ensure that people found culpable of offences under the Electoral Act were arrested, investigated and prosecuted.
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