The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has directed its staff to suspend further annual leave as preparations intensify for the 2027 general elections.
INEC Chairman, Professor Joash Amupitan, announced the directive on Friday, November 6, during a meeting with electoral officials in Lokoja, Kogi State.
The commission said the measure would ensure adequate staffing and operational readiness ahead of the polls.
Amupitan also warned employees against negligence, absenteeism, financial misconduct and political partisanship.
He directed Resident Electoral Commissioners and Administrative Secretaries to enforce strict attendance and accountability measures.
INEC announces new salaries and allowances
Alongside the directive, Amupitan announced new welfare packages for electoral personnel.
He disclosed that INEC introduced the Consolidated Election Management Body Salary Structure (CEMBSS) on January 1, 2026.
The new structure replaces the conventional civil service salary arrangement. However, the commission is still working on its cash-backing.
INEC has also approved improved salaries, hazard allowances and field allowances for its personnel.
The chairman further announced a 150 per cent increase in monthly overhead allocations to state offices. The increase took effect on July 1, 2026.
Commission strengthens election logistics and technology
Amupitan said INEC had distributed operational pickup vehicles to state and local government offices nationwide.
The commission also procured 20 Sport Utility Vehicles for Resident Electoral Commissioners. Administrative Secretaries will receive additional vehicles to support their duties.
On election technology, INEC is configuring 57,000 newly procured Bimodal Voter Accreditation System (BVAS) devices.
The devices will support voter verification and accreditation during the elections.
The commission is also auditing its electronic result management systems. These include the eEC8A verification platform, which supports the transmission of polling unit results to the INEC Result Viewing Portal (IReV).
INEC publishes preliminary voters’ register
The chairman disclosed that the commission had published the preliminary voters’ register for public scrutiny.
INEC plans to release the certified Register of Voters on December 15, 2026.
Amupitan said the commission was also improving access to Permanent Voter Cards through printable PVCs and a digital PVC Location Portal.
He further announced a coordinated election security arrangement involving security agencies.
The Inter-Agency Consultative Committee on Election Security will coordinate activities across national, state and local government levels.
Amupitan also warned against misinformation, fabricated media reports and artificial intelligence-generated deepfakes.
He said such content could undermine public confidence in the electoral process.
INEC completes nine election preparations milestones
The commission disclosed that it had completed nine of the 14 major milestones in its statutory timetable for the 2027 elections.
The North-Central zonal meeting in Lokoja concluded its nationwide readiness assessment. Officials from Benue, Kogi, Kwara, Nasarawa, Niger, Plateau and the Federal Capital Territory attended.
The zone has 15,448,869 registered voters, according to figures presented by the chairman.
INEC has scheduled the presidential and National Assembly elections for January 16, 2027. Governorship and State Houses of Assembly elections will follow on February 6, 2027.
Amupitan reiterated that the commission would not change the announced election dates. He urged personnel to prevent operational failures that could disenfranchise voters.
