By Faith Anisiobi, The Sight News
The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has said preparations for the 2027 general elections are progressing steadily, with nine scheduled activities already completed and the Commission intensifying efforts towards the successful conduct of the polls.
National Commissioner, Prof. Rhoda Gumus, disclosed this on Thursday in Abuja when she received a delegation from Kenya’s Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC), led by the Kenyan High Commissioner to Nigeria, Mr Isaac Keen Parashina, on a benchmarking visit.
Gumus, who represented INEC Chairman, Prof. Joash Amupitan, said the Commission had concluded a nationwide readiness assessment covering the six geopolitical zones to identify challenges and develop solutions ahead of the elections.
She explained that Amupitan was away in the United Kingdom, where he was presenting Nigeria’s electoral preparations at Chatham House.
According to her, the nationwide tour, which ended last week, provided an opportunity to assess the level of preparedness across the country and determine areas requiring further attention.
“We can see from our tour that we are really going towards the election proper,” she said.
The National Commissioner disclosed that preparations for non-sensitive election materials were almost completed, with some materials already being transported to various geopolitical zones.
She added that Permanent Voter Cards (PVCs) had been produced, with most states receiving the first and second batches, while collection by registered voters was ongoing.
Gumus urged eligible voters to collect their PVCs, stressing that possession of the cards remained essential for participation in the electoral process.
She further disclosed that capacity-building programmes for INEC personnel at the headquarters and state levels were ongoing, alongside procurement and deployment preparations for the Bimodal Voter Accreditation System (BVAS).
On the issue of diaspora voting, Gumus explained that the existing electoral legal framework did not provide for Nigerians abroad to participate in elections, adding that INEC could only implement such an arrangement following an amendment to the relevant laws.
She said the Commission had arranged interactive sessions between its directors and the visiting Kenyan delegation to enable them to exchange experiences and obtain detailed information on the operations of various departments.
Earlier, the Kenyan High Commissioner, Parashina, commended INEC for receiving the delegation despite its demanding schedule ahead of the 2027 elections.
He described the visit as a reflection of the longstanding friendship between Nigeria and Kenya, noting that Kenya would also conduct its general elections in August 2027.
“The success of Nigeria remains a great success to Kenya and indeed to the continent,” he said, describing Nigeria as Africa’s biggest democracy.
Parashina explained that the delegation was in Nigeria to understudy INEC’s electoral processes and draw lessons from its experience, particularly as Kenya seeks to expand voting opportunities for its citizens living abroad.
He said the delegation was also interested in understanding how special interest groups could be accommodated within the electoral process.
According to him, Kenyans residing in about 12 countries participated in the last general elections, while the country is working towards extending diaspora voting to approximately 26 countries.
He noted that diaspora voting was a constitutional requirement in Kenya, reinforced by court rulings, which the electoral commission was expected to implement progressively.
The visit is expected to strengthen electoral cooperation between both countries and provide an opportunity for the two electoral bodies to exchange knowledge and experiences on election management, voter participation and democratic development.
