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🇳🇬 Nigeria /Elections & Politics

The eyes of more than 200 million Nigerians and the world are on us, Amupitan says

From Vanguard · () English

Translated from English and summarized by DistantNews. Read the original for the full story.

At a glance

News Named sources Context piece
  • INEC Chairman Joash Amupitan urged administrative secretaries and other staff to build a professional culture ahead of the 2027 general elections.
  • He said cooperation between administrative secretaries and resident electoral commissioners would shape election operations at state level.
  • Amupitan warned that election credibility depended on how faithfully officials applied electoral law and remained above suspicion.

The chairman of Nigeria’s Independent National Electoral Commission has told election officials that the country and the wider world will be watching their conduct as preparations begin for the 2027 general elections.

You, Administrative Secretaries, are the engine room of our state operations. The synergy between you and your Resident Electoral Commissioner will determine the smooth execution of the 2027 General Elections in your respective states.

· Joash AmupitanThe INEC chairman addressed administrative secretaries at a capacity-building workshop in Lagos.

Speaking at a strategic capacity-building workshop in Lagos, INEC Chairman Joash Amupitan urged administrative secretaries and other South-West zonal staff to uphold integrity, neutrality and professionalism. He described administrative secretaries as the “engine room” of the commission’s state operations and said their cooperation with resident electoral commissioners would determine how smoothly the elections were conducted.

Amupitan said the quality of election delivery would rest on officials’ attention to operational detail. He warned that tolerating shortcuts would allow them to spread, while accepting political interference would weaken neutrality. By contrast, he said, insisting on documentation, punctuality, preparation and compliance could turn those practices into an institutional culture.

If you tolerate shortcuts, shortcuts will multiply. If you tolerate political interference, neutrality will deteriorate.

· Joash AmupitanHe urged officials to establish professional standards ahead of the 2027 elections.

During a separate interactive meeting with South-West staff, he urged officials to remain above suspicion. “We must remain above suspicion, for the eyes of over 200 million Nigerians and indeed the world are fixed upon us,” he said. Amupitan added that officials translated electoral laws into practice, and that neither a well-written Electoral Act nor an independent commission could by itself guarantee public confidence. The credibility of an election, he said, depended significantly on how faithfully the law was implemented.

We must remain above suspicion, for the eyes of over 200 million Nigerians and indeed the world are fixed upon us.

· Joash AmupitanHe warned South-West election staff that their conduct would face intense public scrutiny.
About this summary

Originally published by Vanguard in English. Translated, summarized, and contextualized automatically by DistantNews, with a note on how the source frames the story. Not individually reviewed before publishing. How this works.

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