INEC Chair Urges Peaceful Campaigns as 2027 Elections Approach

The Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission, Professor Joash Amupitan, SAN, has delivered a forceful message to Nigeria’s political class: the INEC 2027 elections must never degenerate into do-or-die contests that threaten the nation’s democratic fabric. Speaking during a courtesy visit to the Emir of Zazzau, Ambassador Ahmed Nuhu Bamalli, CFR, at his palace in Zaria on September 27, 2026, the INEC boss urged traditional institutions to use their moral authority to steer political actors toward issue-based, non-violent campaigns.

A Timely Appeal from the Electoral Umpire

Professor Amupitan’s visit to the Zazzau emirate comes at a critical juncture in Nigeria’s democratic journey. With the 2027 general elections roughly 18 months away, political permutations have already begun across the country’s six geopolitical zones. The INEC chairman emphasized that the commission’s mandate extends beyond logistics; it includes nurturing a political culture where elections are viewed as a civic duty rather than a battle for survival.

“Elections must never be treated as do-or-die affairs,” Amupitan told the emir, according to a statement released by the commission. “They are a mechanism for the peaceful transfer of power and the expression of the people’s will. When politicians frame elections as existential wars, they endanger not just their opponents but the entire democratic project.”

The appeal carries particular weight coming from a legal luminary who has spent decades navigating Nigeria’s complex electoral jurisprudence. As a Senior Advocate of Nigeria, Amupitan has witnessed firsthand how electoral disputes escalate from courtroom battles into street violence, undermining public confidence in democratic institutions.

The Strategic Role of Traditional Rulers

Nigeria’s traditional institutions occupy a unique space in the country’s political architecture. While they hold no formal constitutional powers, emirs, obas, obis, and other traditional rulers command immense moral authority within their domains. Their words carry weight that transcends party lines, making them natural arbiters in times of political tension.

The Emir of Zazzau, Ambassador Ahmed Nuhu Bamalli, exemplifies this bridging role. A career diplomat before ascending the throne in 2020, he brings international experience to a stool that has existed for centuries. His palace in Zaria has historically served as a venue for conflict resolution and consensus-building across religious and ethnic divides in Kaduna State and beyond.

Amupitan specifically requested the emir to “use his exalted platform to counsel political parties, candidates and their supporters on the imperative of non-violent, issue-based campaigns.” This language signals INEC’s recognition that electoral peace cannot be achieved through administrative measures alone; it requires a societal commitment championed by respected voices.

Lessons from Recent Electoral Cycles

Nigeria’s electoral history offers sobering lessons about the consequences of incendiary rhetoric. The 2011 post-election violence claimed hundreds of lives across northern states. The 2015 and 2019 cycles saw significant improvements in conduct, though pockets of violence persisted. The 2023 general elections, while largely peaceful, were marred by voter suppression, ballot box snatching, and targeted attacks on INEC facilities in several states.

Each cycle has prompted institutional reforms. The Electoral Act 2022 introduced technological innovations like the Bimodal Voter Accreditation System (BVAS) and the INEC Result Viewing Portal (IReV), enhancing transparency. Legal timelines for pre-election matters were compressed to reduce uncertainty. Yet technology and legal frameworks cannot alone address the root cause: a political culture that treats power as a zero-sum prize.

“We have improved the hardware of elections,” a senior INEC official told this publication on condition of anonymity. “The software — the attitudes, the norms, the unwritten rules of engagement — that is where traditional rulers and civil society must lead.”

Issue-Based Campaigns: From Slogan to Practice

The phrase “issue-based campaigns” has become a staple of Nigerian electoral rhetoric, yet its practice remains elusive. Too often, campaigns degenerate into personality attacks, ethnic profiling, and religious baiting. Policy debates — on education, healthcare, infrastructure, security, youth unemployment — are drowned out by slogans and spectacle.

Amupitan’s call challenges this dynamic. He envisions campaigns where candidates articulate clear plans for addressing Nigeria’s multidimensional poverty, where debates focus on the Petroleum Industry Act’s implementation rather than regional grievances, where the quality of a candidate’s manifesto matters more than the size of their convoy.

Civil society organizations have long advocated for structured presidential and gubernatorial debates as a mechanism to enforce issue-based engagement. The Nigeria Elections Debate Group (NEDG) and its partners have organized debates in past cycles, though participation by leading candidates has been inconsistent. INEC’s 2027 timetable, expected to be released in early 2027, could incorporate mandatory debate participation as a condition for ballot access — a reform already practiced in several African democracies.

Youth Engagement and the Demographic Imperative

Any discussion of Nigeria’s electoral future must confront demographics. With a median age of approximately 18 years, Nigeria’s electorate is overwhelmingly young. The 2023 elections saw increased youth registration, driven partly by the “Obidient” movement and similar phenomena. Yet youth turnout on election day often lags behind registration figures, reflecting disillusionment with a system perceived as rigged against newcomers.

Amupitan has repeatedly highlighted youth inclusion as a priority. INEC’s continuous voter registration (CVR) exercises have targeted universities, NYSC orientation camps, and markets. The commission’s voter education campaigns now deploy social media influencers and campus ambassadors alongside traditional town criers.

“Young Nigerians are not just the leaders of tomorrow; they are the voters of today,” Amupitan said during a youth town hall in Abuja earlier this year. “If they see elections as do-or-die affairs for the political elite, they will disengage. If they see elections as a platform for their aspirations, they will defend the process.”

Security Architecture for Credible Elections

Electoral security remains a shared responsibility between INEC, the Nigeria Police Force, the Department of State Services (DSS), and the military. The Inter-Agency Consultative Committee on Election Security (ICCES) coordinates this architecture. However, tensions occasionally arise over the deployment of security personnel, with opposition parties frequently alleging partisan bias.

The 2027 elections will test whether recent reforms to the police — including the establishment of the Police Service Commission and efforts to insulate the Inspector-General from political interference — translate into visibly neutral election security. The Emir of Zazzau, with his background in diplomacy and national security, is well-positioned to advocate for professional, non-partisan conduct by security agencies during the electoral period.

Kaduna State, where the Zazzau emirate is located, has experienced its share of election-related violence. The state’s diverse ethnic and religious composition makes it a microcosm of Nigeria’s broader challenges. Peaceful elections in Kaduna often signal peaceful elections nationally.

Party Primaries: The First Test of Internal Democracy

Before the general elections come party primaries — often the most violent phase of the electoral calendar. The Electoral Act 2022 mandates direct, indirect, or consensus primaries, but implementation varies widely. Delegates are frequently induced, intimidated, or excluded. Losing aspirants often defect to other parties or sponsor violence against their own party’s flag-bearer.

INEC monitors party primaries but lacks sanctioning powers beyond deregistration — a nuclear option rarely deployed. Strengthening internal party democracy requires amendments to the Electoral Act and the Constitution, giving INEC clearer oversight and enforcement tools. The National Assembly’s Constitution Review Committee has received memoranda on this subject, though political will remains uncertain.

Traditional rulers can play a quiet but effective role here. By hosting pre-primary consultations with party stakeholders in their domains, they can encourage consensus-building and discourage the winner-takes-all mentality that fuels primary violence.

Technology and Transparency: Building on BVAS and IReV

The Bimodal Voter Accreditation System (BVAS) and INEC Result Viewing Portal (IReV) represented significant leaps in 2023. BVAS reduced multiple voting and fingerprint cloning. IReV allowed citizens to view polling unit results in real-time, reducing opportunities for result manipulation at collation centers.

However, implementation gaps persisted. BVAS devices failed in some locations. IReV uploads were delayed or incomplete in contentious areas. INEC has since conducted post-election audits and procured additional devices. The commission’s 2024-2028 Strategic Plan prioritizes technology resilience, including offline-capable accreditation and blockchain-secured result transmission — innovations that could debut in 2027.

“Technology is not a magic wand,” cautions Dr. Aisha Abdullahi, a political scientist at Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria. “It solves specific problems — accreditation fraud, result alteration — but it cannot solve the problem of a politician who believes losing means death. That requires moral leadership.”

The Media’s Responsibility

Nigeria’s vibrant media landscape — print, broadcast, digital — shapes electoral narratives powerfully. Responsible journalism can elevate policy debates, fact-check claims, and amplify marginalized voices. Irresponsible journalism — sensational headlines, unverified allegations, ethnic dog-whistling — can inflame tensions.</p

The Nigerian Guild of Editors (NGE) and the Broadcasting Organisation of Nigeria (BON) have developed election coverage guidelines. The National Broadcasting Commission (NBC) sanctions stations for hate speech. Yet enforcement is uneven, particularly in the unregulated digital space where misinformation spreads fastest.

Amupitan’s appeal implicitly includes media gatekeepers. When traditional rulers speak for peace, media amplification ensures the message reaches beyond the palace walls to the street corners, motor parks, and WhatsApp groups where political conversations actually happen.

Funding Elections: The Cost of Credibility

The 2023 general elections cost approximately ₦355 billion, making them among the most expensive per capita globally. The 2027 budget will likely exceed this figure, driven by inflation, expanded voter registration, and technology upgrades. INEC’s funding comes through the Consolidated Revenue Fund, but timely release has historically been a challenge.

Late funding compresses procurement timelines, leading to rushed contracts and quality compromises. The National Assembly’s commitment to early appropriation — ideally passing the 2027 election budget by mid-2026 — would signal seriousness about credible polls. Civil society budget tracking groups like BudgIT and Connected Development (CODE) have pledged to monitor election expenditure transparency.

Diaspora Voting: An Unfinished Agenda

Nigerians abroad — estimated at over 15 million — remain largely disenfranchised. The Electoral Act 2022 empowered INEC to conduct diaspora voting, but logistical and legal hurdles persist. Countries like Ghana, Kenya, and South Africa have implemented limited diaspora voting. Nigeria’s scale and complexity — with significant populations in the UK, US, Canada, UAE, and across Africa — make it a formidable challenge.

Amupitan has indicated that INEC is studying feasible models. A pilot in select countries for the 2027 elections would be a historic milestone, signaling that Nigerian citizenship carries electoral rights regardless of residence. The Emir of Zazzau, with his diplomatic network, could advocate for host-country cooperation on this front.

Women and Persons with Disabilities: Inclusion Beyond Quotas

Women constitute roughly half of registered voters but hold less than 7% of elective positions. Persons with disabilities (PWDs) face physical and attitudinal barriers at polling units. The 2022 Electoral Act mandates braille ballot guides and priority voting for PWDs, but implementation is inconsistent.

INEC’s Gender Policy and Disability Inclusion Framework set targets for 2027. Political parties are encouraged — though not compelled — to adopt voluntary quotas. Traditional rulers can champion inclusion by publicly endorsing female aspirants and demanding accessible polling units in their domains.

Looking Ahead: A Compact for Peaceful Elections

As the 2027 electoral calendar crystallizes, the conversation initiated at the Zazzau palace must expand into a national compact. This compact would bind political parties to issue-based campaigns, security agencies to neutrality, media to responsible coverage, traditional rulers to mediation, and citizens to peaceful participation.

INEC cannot enforce this compact alone. It requires a coalition of state and non-state actors. The Emir of Zazzau’s response to Amupitan’s appeal — expected to include a communiqué to district heads and village heads across the emirate — will be an early indicator of whether traditional institutions will embrace this convening role.

Nigeria’s democracy has survived six electoral cycles since 1999, each imperfect but each a step forward. The 2027 elections offer an opportunity to consolidate gains and address persistent flaws. Whether that opportunity is seized depends not on INEC alone, but on whether leaders across society — traditional, political, religious, professional — choose to treat elections as a shared civic enterprise rather than a zero-sum contest.

As Professor Amupitan departed the palace, the emir’s parting words were reported as: “We will do our part. The rest is in the hands of the politicians and the people.” In that simple statement lies the essence of Nigeria’s democratic challenge — and its hope.

Frequently Asked Questions

What did INEC Chairman Prof. Joash Amupitan say during his visit to the Emir of Zazzau?

Prof. Amupitan appealed to the Emir of Zazzau to use his moral authority to counsel political parties, candidates, and supporters on the importance of non-violent, issue-based campaigns ahead of the 2027 general elections, emphasizing that elections must never be treated as do-or-die affairs.

Why are traditional rulers important for electoral peace in Nigeria?

Traditional rulers command immense moral authority across ethnic and religious lines. Though they hold no formal constitutional powers, their influence can shape political behavior, mediate conflicts, and promote civic norms that formal institutions cannot enforce alone.

What reforms has INEC implemented since the 2023 elections?

INEC has conducted post-election audits of BVAS and IReV, procured additional devices, developed a 2024-2028 Strategic Plan prioritizing technology resilience, and expanded continuous voter registration targeting youth and underserved populations.

When will the 2027 general elections timetable be released?

INEC is expected to release the official timetable for the 2027 general elections in early 2027, in line with the Electoral Act’s requirement for publication at least 360 days before the election date.

How can citizens contribute to peaceful elections in 2027?

Citizens can register and vote, reject violence and hate speech, demand issue-based campaigns from candidates, report electoral offenses to INEC and security agencies, and hold elected officials accountable through civic engagement beyond election day.

Source: DailyPost Nigeria, September 27, 2026

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