‘No Nigerian should be disenfranchised due to late arrival of materials’ – INEC

The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has said no Nigerian should be prevented from voting in the 2027 general election because of delays in the delivery of election materials.

INEC Chairman, Prof. Joash Amupitan, stated this on Thursday in Abuja during the inauguration of a multi-agency Electoral Logistics Committee to assess the commission’s readiness for the election.

Amupitan said the committee would inspect warehouses, vehicles and transport facilities, including airports and seaports, to ensure the timely movement of election materials across the country.

He said election logistics remained one of the most important and challenging aspects of the electoral process, requiring proper planning, security and coordination.

“We must anticipate the weather, the terrain and the security environment to ensure that no Nigerian is disenfranchised due to late arrival of materials,” he said.

The INEC chairman explained that the movement of sensitive and non-sensitive election materials by road, air and sea required early preparation to avoid delays on election day.

He said the commission had adopted a multi-agency approach because of the challenges involved in transporting personnel and materials across Nigeria’s diverse geographical areas.

Amupitan said the credibility of an election depended partly on whether polling units were ready to receive voters at the scheduled time.

He described the 2027 general election as a marathon, not a sprint.

He added that the early establishment of the committee was part of efforts to lay the foundation for an efficient and credible electoral process.