The Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, says preparations for the 2027 general election are progressing, with non-sensitive election materials almost ready for deployment.
The Acting INEC Chairman, Prof. Rhoda Gumus, disclosed this on Thursday in Abuja during a benchmarking meeting with a delegation from Kenya’s Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission, IEBC.
“The commission has nearly completed preparations for the non-sensitive materials, with some already transported to designated zones ahead of the elections,” she said.
She explained that INEC had completed nine activities on its election timetable and was preparing for the next stage of the process.
According to her, the commission has also completed the production of Permanent Voter Cards, PVCs, with the first and second batches already sent to most states. She added that PVC collection was ongoing.
Gumus further said the commission was building the capacity of its staff at the national and state levels, while the procurement and deployment of Bimodal Voter Accreditation System, BVAS, devices were also in progress.
“We have visited all six geopolitical zones to assess our level of preparedness and identify areas that need attention ahead of the elections. However, Nigerians living abroad will not be able to vote in 2027 because the existing electoral law does not make provision for diaspora voting,” she said.
She said the provision would require an amendment to the electoral law before diaspora voting could become possible.
