Minna: Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Prof. Joash Amupitan, has urged staff members of the commission to work selflessly and uphold the highest standards of integrity. Amupitan emphasized the critical role of the commission in ensuring the success of the 2027 general elections during an official working visit to the state headquarters in Minna, Niger.
According to News Agency of Nigeria, Amupitan warned staff members against any form of compromise, noting that the attention of Nigerians and the international community, including the African Union and foreign election observation missions, was already focused on Nigeria’s forthcoming electoral process. He highlighted the importance of the staff being ambassadors of the commission and stressed that failure was not an option. The general elections are scheduled for January 16, 2027, for the presidential and National Assembly elections, and February 6 for the governorship and state Houses of Assembly elections.
Amupitan assured the workers that the commission was working diligently to improve logistics, infrastructure, and transport fleets across all state offices ahead of the elections. He expressed his commitment to avoiding past mistakes and continuously improving the commission’s performance.
Reflecting on his tenure of nine months as INEC chairman, Amupitan reaffirmed his dedication to rebuilding public trust in the commission through transparent, free, fair, and credible elections. He emphasized that the commission’s goal of building a revitalized INEC capable of earning the confidence of Nigerians could only be achieved through the dedication and integrity of field personnel at the grassroots level.
Amupitan announced that while hard work would be recognized and rewarded, any administrative misconduct would attract strict sanctions. He urged staff to work hard, selflessly, shun corruption, and deliver what the Nigerian people truly desire.
On the topic of employees’ welfare, Amupitan stated that the commission had commenced a comprehensive review of staff packages across the country to boost morale and foster optimal performance. He identified staff welfare as a critical area requiring urgent intervention upon assuming office and assured the staff that improvements in their welfare packages were underway.
The News Agency of Nigeria reports that Amupitan also monitored the ongoing continuous voter registration exercise at a center located within the INEC state headquarters.