2027 Elections: INEC FCT Assures ECOWAS Mission of Readiness, Puts Voter Register at 1.73 Million

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The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) has reaffirmed its readiness for the 2027 general elections, outlining six key areas of preparation during a meeting with the ECOWAS Pre-Election Mission in Abuja.

The FCT Resident Electoral Commissioner, Dr. Gabriel Hale Longpet, gave the assurance in his welcome remarks to the delegation, led by former Sierra Leone Vice President, His Excellency Victor Bockarie Foh, at the INEC FCT headquarters. Longpet was represented by the Administrative Secretary, Mrs. Abimbola Oladunjoye.

He said the visit highlighted the longstanding partnership between Nigeria and ECOWAS in strengthening democratic governance and electoral integrity across West Africa.

Victor Bockarie Foh

Longpet identified the six priority areas as electoral planning and implementation; voter registration and register integrity; personnel readiness and capacity development; election materials, logistics and technology; electoral security and stakeholder coordination; and inclusion, transparency and public communication.

He disclosed that Nigeria’s voter register had reached 103 million following the addition of 10 million new registrants, with the FCT accounting for approximately 1.73 million voters.

The REC also reaffirmed INEC’s commitment to promoting the participation of women, young people and persons with disabilities, while addressing misinformation through timely and effective public communication.

He said the Commission had strengthened its institutional capacity for planning, monitoring and reporting compliance with electoral activities and timelines through the recent establishment of Departments of Planning and Monitoring across the 36 states and the FCT.

Earlier, the head of the ECOWAS mission, Victor Bockarie Foh, said the visit was guided by Article 13 of the ECOWAS Protocol on Democracy and Good Governance, which provides for fact-finding missions to assess electoral preparations in member states.

Foh explained that the mission’s responsibilities included reviewing the legal framework governing the elections, gathering information on the conditions under which they would be conducted, engaging political actors and relevant authorities, and assessing the level of preparedness.

He added that the engagement would allow the delegation to discuss INEC FCT’s operational priorities, challenges and measures to strengthen readiness ahead of the 2027 general elections.

Other members of the mission included Madam Francess Piagie Alghali, ECOWAS Commissioner for Political Affairs, Peace and Security; Mr. Julius F. Sandy, Sierra Leone’s High Commissioner and Permanent Representative to ECOWAS; and officials from the ECOWAS Commission, the United Nations Office for West Africa and the Sahel (UNOWAS), and the ECOWAS Network of Electoral Commissions (ECONEC).

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