By Abiodun Folarin
WorldStage— The Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Prof. Joash Amupitan, has urged the Emir of Zazzau, Amb. Ahmed Bamalli, to counsel politicians and youths against election violence ahead of the 2027 General Elections.
Amupitan made the appeal on Sunday during a courtesy visit to the Emir’s Palace in Zaria, Kaduna State, as part of the Commission’s nationwide zonal readiness assessment and staff engagement for the elections.
He urged the traditional ruler to use his influence to promote non violent and issue based campaigns, warning youths against allowing themselves to be used as instruments of political violence and thuggery.
“Elections must never be treated as do-or-die affairs, but as a peaceful celebration of civic choice,” the INEC Chairman said.
Amupitan also appealed to the Emir to encourage greater participation in the electoral process, including the collection of Permanent Voter Cards (PVCs) and peaceful turnout on election days.
He said the scale of the 2027 elections, with the national voter register approaching 100 million, required early planning, operational discipline and extensive engagement with stakeholders.
According to him, INEC has moved away from last-minute preparations to early testing, auditing and strengthening of its administrative, technological and logistical systems across the 36 states and the Federal Capital Territory.
He disclosed that the Presidential and National Assembly elections would hold on Saturday, January 16, 2027, while the Governorship and State Houses of Assembly elections are scheduled for Saturday, February 6, 2027.
The INEC Chairman assured the Emirate of the Commission’s commitment to neutrality, fairness and transparency, stressing that INEC had “no candidate, no political party, and no interest other than the sovereign will of the Nigerian people.”
Responding, the Emir of Zazzau commended Amupitan for the engagement, saying the visit provided the Emirate with clearer information on INEC’s preparations and the 2027 election timetable.
Bamalli identified fairness, justice, a level playing field, security, timely information and prompt release of results as critical to a credible electoral process. He also urged INEC to address shortcomings recorded in previous elections, particularly delays in the distribution of election materials and technical challenges associated with election technology.
The Emir called for adequate testing of election equipment before deployment and timely arrival of officials and materials at polling units, saying this would strengthen public confidence in the electoral process.
He equally appealed to political parties and their supporters to conduct peaceful campaigns, minimise hate speech and avoid actions capable of threatening national cohesion.
The INEC Chairman and his delegation are in Kaduna as part of the nationwide readiness assessment and are scheduled to engage staff from the North-West states on Monday.
