The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has described Saturday’s by-elections in Gombe, Kano, Bauchi and Delta states as a critical test of Nigeria’s electoral systems ahead of the 2027 general elections.
Joash Amupitan, INEC Chairman, said the four legislative polls offered the commission an opportunity to assess its logistics, technology and field operations while identifying areas requiring improvement ahead of the nationwide elections.
Amupitan spoke while monitoring the elections from INEC’s National Situation Room at the commission’s headquarters in Abuja.
The elections covered the Gombe/Kwami/Funakaye Federal Constituency in Gombe State; Dawakin Kudu State Constituency in Kano; Sakwa and Disina State Constituencies in Bauchi; and Udu State Constituency in Delta.
According to the INEC chairman, the commission would not treat bye-elections as routine exercises, stressing that each poll provided operational lessons for the 2027 elections.
“These four by-elections provide indispensable operational lessons for the Commission as we systematically chart our roadmap toward the 2027 General Election,” Amupitan said.
He added that the exercises enabled INEC to “continuously audit our logistics framework, stress-test our technological deployment, and evaluate administrative field readiness.”
The chairman, accompanied by national commissioners and senior management officials, monitored reports from the field as voting progressed across the four states.
Amupitan also said the commission had identified and resolved administrative and operational challenges that emerged before election day.
“Our primary mandate in the Situation Room is monitoring and proactive crisis resolution,” he said.
“Whatever administrative or field challenges arose before the day of the elections, the Commission was able to nip them in the bud effectively.”
He said INEC would continue to refine its processes, with the aim of improving operational efficiency and public confidence in subsequent elections.
The commission’s technical team was also commended for facilitating the real-time monitoring of the multi-state elections from the Abuja situation room.
The bye-elections come as INEC intensifies preparations for the 2027 general elections, with the commission expected to draw lessons from each electoral exercise to strengthen its systems ahead of the nationwide polls.
