Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) don deploy joint financial monitoring mechanism with anti-graft and financial intelligence agencies to track illegal campaign spending ahead of January 16, 2027 general election.
INEC Chairman, Prof. Joash Amupitan, disclose this yesterday for Abuja when he dey deliver keynote at strategic workshop with media executives. Nigerian Guild of Editors (NGE) organise the workshop in collaboration with the commission.
Amupitan talk say the commission stand gidigba to stop money from spoiling the credibility of the elections. INEC dey work with Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) and Nigerian Financial Intelligence Unit (NFIU) to monitor campaign financing and spot suspicious spending.
According to am, the teams go track illegal campaign spending and strengthen surveillance around polling units to detect attempts to influence voters through financial inducements. He warn political actors say any violation of Electoral Act go attract arrest and prosecution. Election, he talk, must be decided by the conviction of the voter, not the depth of candidate pocket.
The INEC chairman also disclose say National Register of Voters don pass 103 million after the three-phase Continuous Voter Registration (CVR) exercise finish. The exercise produce 10,772,421 new registrants. Phase one get 2,611,266, phase two get 4,121,835, and phase three get 3,867,997, subject to final verification.
He talk say the figures complete eight of the 14 major statutory activities inside INEC timetable for 2027 elections. The final Automated Biometric Identification System (ABIS) cleanup don complete, and INEC don display the preliminary register for claims and objections.
Amupitan give the breakdown: “In line with Section 10 of the Electoral Act 2026, the first phase of the CVR commenced on August 25, 2025 and ended on December 10, 2025, registering 2,611,266 voters; Phase II commenced on January 5, 2026, and ended on April 17, 2026, registering 4,121,835 voters; and Phase III commenced on May 11, 2026 and ended on July 26, 2026, registering 3,867,997 voters. The total new registration stands at 10,772,421, subject to the ABIS verification being concluded.”
The commission also talk say e acquire 57,000 new Bimodal Voter Accreditation System (BVAS) machines as part of moves to strengthen technological infrastructure for the 2027 elections. INEC target to commence voting simultaneously across all polling units nationwide during the elections.
For the workshop, President of Nigerian Guild of Editors, Eze Anaba, call for credible and transparent electoral process wey go make voters, not courts, determine election outcome. He talk say elections no be only about casting ballots, but about building citizens’ confidence say their votes go count and institutions wey dey conduct elections go act fair and professional.
Executive Director of International Press Centre (IPI), Lanre Arogundade, stress the importance of timely and transparent communication from INEC. Akingbulu talk say verification na two-way process, arguing say newsrooms no fit properly verify information wey institutions fail to disclose.
Amupitan talk say INEC dey draw lessons from recent off-cycle elections and go improve logistics, personnel and technology ahead of 2027 polls. The commission warn political parties, candidates and campaign managers against violence, intimidation and hate speech.
He talk say INEC, through Inter-Agency Consultative Committee on Election Security (ICCES), don activate early-warning framework to monitor political violence, thuggery and dangerous campaign rhetoric. Any party or candidate wey dem find responsible for inciting violence, disrupting opponents’ rallies or using armed thugs go face sanctions.
Amupitan call on editors, wey he describe as “bridge in an era of information chaos,” to work with INEC to build public space of verified information, civic responsibility and institutional trust. He talk: “When newsrooms prioritise factual accuracy over sensational headlines, when reports contextualise field logistics rather than default to inflammatory speculation, and when information is verified before publication, you perform a sacred public service. You act as the primary filter protecting our democracy against information disorder.”
