By Taibat Ummi Yakubu
The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has announced plans to deploy a real-time election readiness tracker to monitor preparations for the 2027 general elections across the 36 states and the Federal Capital Territory, in a move aimed at strengthening operational efficiency and preventing last-minute setbacks.
The digital monitoring system will provide the commission’s leadership with instant updates on critical aspects of election preparation, including logistics, recruitment and training of ad hoc personnel, deployment of technology and other key operational activities.
INEC Chairman, Prof. Joash Amupitan, disclosed the initiative on Monday during a two-day strategic operational workshop for Administrative Secretaries in Lagos.
According to a statement issued by the Commission’s Director of Voter Education and Publicity, Mrs. Victoria Eta-Messi, the tracker will be the first of its kind within the electoral body and is expected to revolutionise the way election preparations are monitored nationwide.
“The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) is set to roll out a first-of-its-kind, real-time readiness tracker that will allow the Commission to monitor election preparations across all 36 states and the Federal Capital Territory instantly, as the national voter register approaches the historic 100 million mark ahead of the 2027 General Election,” the statement said.
The new system is expected to be integrated into INEC’s Election Monitoring and Support Centre dashboard and Election Project Plan through a standardised Administrative Secretary Master Operational Tracker Template developed during the workshop.
Amupitan explained that the commission had, over the years, operated without a uniform mechanism for tracking the responsibilities and preparedness levels of Administrative Secretaries across the country.
He said the tracker would close that gap by providing Resident Electoral Commissioners, supervising National Commissioners, the Secretary to the Commission and INEC headquarters with real-time visibility into election preparations at the state level.
The platform will monitor key operational areas such as the distribution of election materials, training of ad hoc staff, deployment of resources and overall readiness for elections across the federation.
According to the INEC chairman, the initiative is part of a broader effort to move away from the traditional rush often associated with election management.
He said the commission’s goal was to replace what he described as “reactive panic” with a culture of proactive planning and management.
Amupitan also revealed that Nigeria’s voter register is edging closer to a major milestone, with the Continuous Voter Registration (CVR) exercise adding more than 10.7 million new registrants between August 2025 and July 2026.
He disclosed that the three phases of the registration exercise recorded a cumulative 10,772,421 new voters, although the figures remain subject to verification through the Automated Biometric Identification System.
With the latest registrations, he said the National Register of Voters is now approaching the 100 million mark, a development that could make the 2027 elections one of the largest electoral exercises in Africa.
The chairman reaffirmed INEC’s commitment to ensuring that eligible Nigerians are not denied the opportunity to vote due to challenges related to voter registration or the collection of Permanent Voter Cards (PVCs).
He identified Continuous Voter Registration as one of five major operational areas under review at the Lagos workshop.
The other focus areas include logistics and materials management, electoral technology, optimisation of ad hoc staff and financial compliance.
The latest reforms signal INEC’s determination to strengthen election management systems ahead of the 2027 polls, amid growing expectations for a more transparent, efficient and technologically driven electoral process.
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