The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) said preparations for the 2027 general elections are progressing steadily, with nine scheduled activities already completed.
INEC National Commissioner, Prof. Rhoda Gumus, disclosed this on Thursday while receiving a delegation from Kenya’s Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) at INEC headquarters in Abuja.
The delegation, which is in Nigeria on a benchmarking visit, was led by the Kenyan High Commissioner to Nigeria, Mr Isaac Parashina.
Gumus represented the INEC Chairman, Prof. Joash Amupitan.
She explained that the INEC Chairman was out of the country at Chatham House in the UK, where he is presenting the commission’s preparations for the elections.
She stated that the commission had scheduled several activities ahead of the polls and was preparing for the next phase.
Gumus said the commission recently toured the country’s six geopolitical zones to assess preparedness, identify challenges, and agree on solutions.
“All non-sensitive materials are almost ready,” she said, adding that some had already been transported to certain zones as of Thursday.
She said Permanent Voter Cards (PVCs) had been produced and that most states had received the first and second batches, while collection by registered voters was ongoing.
The national commissioner also said capacity building for staff, both at the headquarters and in the states, was ongoing, as was the procurement and deployment of the Bimodal Voter Accreditation System (BVAS) devices.
On diaspora voting, which featured in the discussions, Gumus said the provision was not captured in the extant electoral law, and the Commission could not proceed with it until the law was amended.
She said pledged INEC’s readiness to share necessary information with the Kenyan delegation.
Earlier, the Kenyan High Commissioner to Nigeria, Parashina, described the visit as a sign of friendship between the two countries and noted that Kenya would hold its own general elections in August 2027.
Parashina said that the team was in Nigeria to learn from the Commission’s experience as Kenya sought to expand voting rights, particularly for Kenyans living abroad.
He said the team was also mapping out how special interest groups could be accommodated in the voting process.
According to him, Kenyans in about 12 countries voted in the last general election, with plans to extend the arrangement to about 26 countries.
He explained that this was a constitutional requirement, reinforced by court rulings that must be implemented progressively.
Parashina thanked INEC for meeting with the delegation despite its tight schedule ahead of the elections, which are expected in January and February next year.
“The success of Nigeria remains a great success to Kenya and indeed to the continent,” he said, describing Nigeria as the biggest democracy in Africa.
