2027 Polls: INEC Chairman Rallies South-East Traditional Rulers For Grassroots Peace, Vows Vote Integrity
ENUGU – The Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Prof. Joash Amupitan, SAN, has declared that traditional institutions hold the vital moral authority required to guarantee peaceful outcomes in the upcoming 2027 General Election.
Speaking on Monday in Enugu during a courtesy visit to the Chairman of the South-East Council of Traditional Rulers, HRH Igwe Sir Samuel Ikechukwu Asadu, Prof. Amupitan revealed that INEC’s National Zonal Physical Assessment Tour has officially commenced in the South-East region to audit operational readiness down to the ward level.
During the high-level engagement, the INEC Chairman reconfirmed the official dates for the 2027 polls.
The Presidential and National Assembly Elections are scheduled for Saturday, 16 January 2027, while the Governorship and State Houses of Assembly Elections will take place on Saturday, 6 February 2027.
Prof. Amupitan specifically appealed for royal partnerships in three critical areas: mobilizing grassroots citizens for Permanent Voter Card (PVC) collection, combating voter apathy and the illegal practice of vote-buying, and leveraging traditional stools to de-escalate political violence and inflammatory rhetoric.
“While INEC manages the technical and administrative aspects of elections, the moral authority to ensure peaceful voting resides within our traditional institutions,” Amupitan stated, promising that under his leadership, every valid vote cast in the South-East will count and be accurately reflected.
In a separate address to INEC staff at the Enugu State headquarters, the Chairman maintained a tough stance on electoral integrity, warning personnel to maintain strict neutrality and avoid any political associations.
He further announced structural boosts to morale, including the ongoing arrival of non-sensitive materials, the procurement of additional Bimodal Voter Accreditation Systems (BVAS), and the implementation of a newly approved staff salary structure backdated to take effect from January 2026.
Responding on behalf of the region’s traditional institution, HRH Igwe Sir Samuel Ikechukwu Asadu pledged the total support of the council, promising that royal fathers would actively encourage their indigenes to collect their PVCs ahead of the fast-approaching deadlines.
