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Independent National Electoral Commission

Conducts federal and state elections and voter registration.

Legal basisWebsite

Chairman of INEC

JAJoash AmupitanAppointed 2025

What the Constitution says

  • s.153–154

    Section 153 creates the federal commissions, among them INEC, the Code of Conduct Bureau and the Federal Character Commission. The President appoints their chairs and members, subject to Senate confirmation, and can remove them only with the backing of two-thirds of the Senate (s.157).

2027 General Election

INEC

Presidential & National Assembly

107 days10 hrs2 min

Sat, 16 Jan 2027 · polls open 8:30 a.m. WAT · President, 109 senators and 360 representatives

Then Governorship & State Houses of Assembly: Sat, 6 Feb 2027

INEC revised timetable, 27 Feb 2026 ↗

Where it appears in the news

  • Supreme Court judgement: INEC to move against erring candidates next week

    Sep 30, 2026

    Indications have emerged that the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) is considering moving against candidates who violated certain provisions of the 2026 Electoral Act in respect to Thursday’s judgment of the Supreme Court. Candidates who emerged

    dailytrust.com ↗

  • Kano cleric seeks to replace Amin Little as ADC gov’ship candidate

    Sep 30, 2026

    A prominent Kano cleric, Sheikh Ibrahim Khalil, has asked a Federal High Court to compel the African Democratic Congress (ADC) to remove the name of Ibrahim Ali Amin popularly called Little which was submitted to the Independent National Electoral Commission I

    dailytrust.com ↗

  • Obidient Movement rejects INEC’s plan to deploy AI during 2027 poll

    Sep 30, 2026

    The Obidient Movement has warned the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) against deploying Artificial Intelligence (AI) in the 2027 general elections without first addressing unresolved issues surrounding electoral transparency, result transmissio

    dailytrust.com ↗
Senate of Nigeria confirms Independent National Electoral Commission. s.153–154: Section 153 creates the federal commissions, among them INEC, the Code of Conduct Bureau and the Federal Character Commission. The President appoints their chairs and members, subject to Senate confirmation, and can remove them only with the backing of two-thirds of the Senate (s.157).National Assembly oversees Senate of Nigeria. s.47–49: The National Assembly is two chambers, the Senate and the House of Representatives, and voters elect both.People of Nigeria elects National Assembly. s.47–49: The National Assembly is two chambers, the Senate and the House of Representatives, and voters elect both.President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria appoints Independent National Electoral Commission. s.153–154: Section 153 creates the federal commissions, among them INEC, the Code of Conduct Bureau and the Federal Character Commission. The President appoints their chairs and members, subject to Senate confirmation, and can remove them only with the backing of two-thirds of the Senate (s.157).People of Nigeria elects President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria. s.132–134: Voters elect the President every four years. To win outright, a candidate needs the most votes and at least a quarter of the votes cast in two-thirds of the states and the FCT.Olayemi CardosoOla OlukoyedeMusa Adamu AliyuJoash AmupitanHafsat Abubakar BakariAnthony OjukwuMohammed Bello ShehuVacant seatFemi GbajabiamilaHashimu Salihu ArgunguAyo Hulayat OmidiranBashir AbubakarShaakaa Kanyitor ChiraNasir Isa KwarraTunji OlaopaGeorge AkumeAdebowale AdedokunNuhu RibaduAbel Olumuyiwa EnitanNyesom WikeJoseph Olasunkanmi TegbeShuaibu Abubakar AuduDavid UmahiAyodele OlawandeAbubakar Atiku BaguduMuhammad Ali PateMuhammadu Maigari DingyadiAdegboyega OyetolaChristopher Gwabin MusaTaiwo OyedeleMuttaqa Rabe DarmaLateef Olasunkanmi FagbemiKingsley T. UdehFestus KeyamoJumoke OduwoleOlubunmi Tunji-OjoMaruf Tunji AlausaIdi Mukhtar MaihaBola Ahmed TinubuAbubakar KyariBalarabe Abbas LawalMohammed IdrisImaan Sulaiman-IbrahimBosun TijaniIbrahim GaidamOladele Henry AlakeZephaniah Bitrus JisaloSa'idu AlkaliBianca Odumegwu-OjukwuJoseph Terlumun UtsevHannatu Musa MusawaBernard M. DoroAbubakar MomohKudirat Kekere-EkunKudirat Kekere-EkunMonica Dongban-MensemJohn TsohoMainasara Umar KogoJUDICIALLEGISLATIVEEXECUTIVEFECNATIONAL ASSEMBLYPRESIDENCYFEDERAL BODIESMINISTRIESAbuja, Federal Capital TerritoryPeople of Nigeria
Key

Entities

Relationships

ElectsAppointsConfirmsOverseesChairs

  • INEC must brace up for AI threat

    Sep 30, 2026

    The warning by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) about artificial intelligence-driven misinformation ahead of the 2027 general elections deserves serious attention. The commission is right to recognise that generative AI has added a new and

    dailytrust.com ↗

  • INEC sets zero-failure plan for 2027 polls

    Sep 29, 2026

    The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has unveiled a “zero-failure” operational plan for the 2027 general elections, with its chairman, Prof. Joash Amupitan, warning electoral officials against partisanship, negligence and deviations from laid-d

    dailytrust.com ↗

  • 2027: INEC Fixes October 9 For PVC Collection, Records 10.7m Registrations

    Sep 29, 2026

    The INEC chairman said preparations for the 2027 elections were underway, with the timeline set and logistical, technical and public-confidence challenges being addressed.

    channelstv.com ↗

  • 2027: Non-release of N371bn to INEC threatens polls

    Sep 28, 2026

    With 111 days to the January 16, 2027 presidential and National Assembly elections, concerns are mounting over the non-release of the balance of about N371 billion of the N873.78 billion budget projected for the polls, with the Independent National Electoral C

    vanguardngr.com ↗

  • INEC, the governors, and the coming 2027 general election in the face of the gathering storm

    Sep 28, 2026

    By Moshood Oshunfurewa The machinery of Nigeria’s democracy is grinding towards 2027, yet the omens are anything but auspicious. What we are witnessing is not the meticulous preparation for a credible election, but the slow, deliberate construction of a politi

    vanguardngr.com ↗

  • INEC, APC, Yahaya Bello ask court to dismiss suit challenging ex-Kogi governor's senatorial ticket

    Sep 28, 2026

    In the suit filed on 29 May, Mr Obaro urged the court to declare that, having scored the highest number of lawful votes cast at the 18 May primary election, he was the lawful winner whose name should be forwarded to INEC as the APC’s senatorial candidate.

    premiumtimesng.com ↗

  • 2027: INEC warns officials against partisanship, announces date for new PVC collection

    Sep 28, 2026

    INEC Chairman, Joash Amupitan, says the neutrality and professionalism of field personnel would be critical to public confidence in the electoral process.

    premiumtimesng.com ↗