The Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, has described the September 19, 2026 legislative bye-elections in Gombe, Kano, Bauchi and Delta states as important operational tests ahead of the 2027 general elections.
INEC Chairman, Prof. Joash Amupitan, SAN, said the exercises would provide the commission with valuable lessons on logistics, technology and field administration as preparations for the nationwide polls gather momentum.
Amupitan spoke on Saturday while presiding over operations at INEC’s National Situation Room at its headquarters in Abuja, where he monitored reports from the various states alongside National Commissioners and senior management officials.
The commission conducted legislative bye-elections in the Gombe/Kwami/Funakaye Federal Constituency of Gombe State, Dawakin Kudu State Constituency of Kano State, Sakwa and Disina State Constituencies of Bauchi State, and Udu State Constituency of Delta State.
Amupitan said every off-cycle election should be treated as an opportunity to test and improve the commission’s preparedness for the general election.
“These four bye-elections provide indispensable operational lessons for the Commission as we systematically chart our roadmap toward the 2027 General Election,” he said.
According to him, the exercises would enable INEC to continuously audit its logistics framework, test its technological deployment and assess the readiness of its administrative and field operations.
“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.
The INEC chairman also reassured Nigerians of the commission’s commitment to electoral integrity, saying operational challenges identified before the polls were promptly addressed.
“Our primary mandate in the Situation Room is monitoring and proactive crisis resolution,” Amupitan stated.
He added that the commission would continue to refine its processes to achieve greater efficiency and strengthen public confidence in subsequent electoral exercises.
The INEC chairman also commended officials of the National Situation Room, particularly the technical team, for supporting the monitoring of the multi-state elections and enabling the commission to assess field performance.
INEC’s official results portal showed that results from the five contests — Gombe/Kwami/Funakaye, Dawakin Kudu, Disina, Sakwa and Udu — were being uploaded following the September 19 polls.
The commission has positioned the bye-elections as part of its continuing operational preparations for the 2027 general elections.
