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The Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Prof. Joash Amupitan, has commissioned a newly constructed Bimodal Voter Accreditation System (BVAS) storage facility in Lokoja, Kogi State, as part of preparations for the 2027 general elections.
The commissioning took place on Thursday, November 5, 2026, during the chairman’s North-Central zonal readiness assessment and stakeholder engagements ahead of the elections.
Amupitan said the facility was built to address challenges associated with the storage and maintenance of BVAS devices, particularly those caused by poor storage conditions and inadequate cooling systems.
He said dedicated storage facilities were necessary to keep the devices in appropriate conditions, preserve battery life, maintain optimal performance and extend their operational lifespan.
The INEC chairman expressed satisfaction with the quality of the facility and directed officials to ensure that it serves its intended purpose.
He also commended the attention given to the building’s foundation, structural protection, electrical connections and equipment installations.
Amupitan said the commission would continue to work with its ICT Department to address outstanding requirements, including the relocation and installation of equipment racks.
Earlier, the INEC chairman visited the Kogi State Council of Traditional Rulers, where he sought their support for peaceful, credible and inclusive elections in 2027.
He said traditional rulers remained important partners in the electoral process because of their influence within their communities.
According to him, INEC could not independently guarantee peaceful elections without the cooperation of traditional institutions, community leaders and other stakeholders.
Amupitan urged the traditional rulers to support the commission in mobilising citizens to collect their Permanent Voter Cards, discouraging electoral violence and political thuggery, and combating misinformation and disinformation.
He disclosed that INEC was implementing decentralised PVC collection across the 774 Local Government Areas, including all 21 LGAs in Kogi State, with collection points moved closer to voters at ward level.
The chairman also urged traditional rulers to discourage youths from allowing themselves to be used for political violence.
He warned against emerging technology-related threats, including AI-generated deepfakes, fabricated media content and deliberately circulated false information capable of misleading voters and undermining confidence in the electoral process.
Amupitan called on traditional institutions to work with INEC offices at the state and local government levels to verify information before disseminating it within their communities.
He assured Nigerians that INEC remained politically neutral and had no candidate in the elections, stressing that the commission was committed to ensuring that lawful votes were accurately counted and declared.
The chairman also said INEC had taken steps to audit, upgrade and secure its technological infrastructure, including BVAS devices, while strengthening collaboration with security agencies ahead of the polls.
Responding on behalf of the traditional rulers, the Vice President of the Kogi State Council of Chiefs, the Ohinoyi of Ebiraland, Alhaji Ahmed Tijani Muhammad, expressed support for the commission and pledged the council’s cooperation in promoting peaceful political participation and credible elections.
He urged the INEC chairman to remain committed to fairness, transparency, accountability and the rule of law.
Amupitan also met with INEC staff in Kogi State at the Professor Mahmood Yakubu State Collation Centre in Lokoja to assess their level of preparedness for the elections.
The meeting brought together national commissioners, the Resident Electoral Commissioner, administrative secretary, heads of departments, electoral officers and other personnel.
He stressed the importance of staff professionalism, logistics, effective coordination and the timely distribution of election materials in ensuring successful elections.
The Kogi REC, Dr Shehu L. Wahab, described the chairman’s visit as a morale booster and reaffirmed the commitment of personnel across the state’s 21 LGAs to professionalism and non-partisanship.
Amupitan said the Kogi engagements formed part of INEC’s wider assessment of its personnel, infrastructure, logistics and technological preparedness ahead of the 2027 elections.
He disclosed that the commission had completed nine of the 14 major operational milestones contained in its timetable and schedule of activities.
The chairman also said the national voter register had risen to more than 103 million registered citizens, underscoring the scale of the commission’s responsibilities ahead of the elections.
He reiterated INEC’s commitment to delivering peaceful, transparent, credible and inclusive elections and strengthening collaboration with stakeholders across the country.
