By Myke Uzendu
The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has described the legislative bye-elections conducted across Gombe, Kano, Bauchi and Delta states as important operational benchmarks for testing its electoral systems ahead of the 2027 general elections.
INEC Chairman, Prof. Joash Amupitan, SAN, stated this on Saturday while personally presiding over the monitoring of the elections from the Commission’s National Situation Room at its headquarters in Abuja.
The Commission conducted four legislative bye-elections covering the Gombe/Kwami/Funakaye Federal Constituency in Gombe State, Dawakin Kudu State Constituency in Kano State, Sakwa and Disina State Constituencies in Bauchi State, and Udu State Constituency in Delta State.
Amupitan said the exercises provided the Commission with an opportunity to assess its logistics, technology and administrative preparedness ahead of the 2027 general elections.
He stressed that every electoral contest, regardless of its size or status, should be treated as an important component of the Commission’s preparations for the nationwide polls.
“These four bye-elections provide indispensable operational lessons for the Commission as we systematically chart our roadmap toward the 2027 General Election,” Amupitan said.
The INEC chairman said the Commission would continue to use off-cycle elections to identify areas requiring improvement and strengthen its systems before the larger nationwide exercise.
“We must resist the temptation to view any exercise as merely an ordinary bye-election. Every election is a critical component of our broader preparations for the 2027 General Election, allowing us to continuously audit our logistics framework, stress-test our technological deployment, and evaluate administrative field readiness,” he said.
Amupitan was joined in the National Situation Room by National Commissioners and senior management officials, who monitored operational reports from the field as voting activities progressed across the four states.
According to him, the Commission remained committed to electoral integrity and had mechanisms in place to identify and address operational challenges that could affect the conduct of elections.
He said some administrative and field-related bottlenecks identified before polling were swiftly addressed by the Commission.
“Our primary mandate in the Situation Room is monitoring and proactive crisis resolution,” the INEC chairman said.
“Whatever administrative or field challenges arose before the day of the elections, the Commission was able to nip them in the bud effectively. We remain committed to refining our processes so that every subsequent exercise reflects higher standards of efficiency and public confidence.”
The Commission said the lessons generated from the four bye-elections would form part of its continuing assessment of electoral operations as preparations for the 2027 general elections progress.
