The Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Prof. Joash Amupitan (SAN), has urged staff of the commission to remain committed to professionalism and integrity, warning that they cannot afford to fail Nigerians in the conduct of the 2027 general elections.

Speaking during an official working visit and interactive session with management and staff at the INEC headquarters in Minna on Friday, Amupitan said the credibility of the 2027 elections would depend largely on the dedication and conduct of the commission’s personnel across the country.

He noted that the eyes of Nigerians and the international community, including the African Union and foreign election observer missions, were already on Nigeria’s electoral process.

“You are our ambassadors, and you cannot afford to fail. The whole world is watching Nigeria, and we must conduct the elections in a highly professional manner,” he said.

The INEC chairman disclosed that he recently attended an African Union meeting in Egypt involving Electoral Management Bodies (EMBs) across Africa, where participants expressed keen interest in observing Nigeria’s forthcoming elections.

He also revealed that the commission was strengthening logistics, infrastructure and transportation across state offices to ensure a seamless electoral process.

“We do not want to repeat the mistakes of the past. Our goal is to continuously improve our performance and deliver credible elections,” he stated.

Reflecting on his nine months in office, Amupitan reaffirmed his commitment to rebuilding public confidence in INEC through transparent, free, fair and credible elections.

He stressed that the commission’s vision of a revitalised electoral body capable of earning the trust of Nigerians could only be achieved through the integrity and commitment of its workforce, particularly field officials.

The INEC chairman warned that while exceptional performance would be rewarded, acts of misconduct and corruption would attract severe sanctions.

“We have decided to reward hard work, but there will be no room for compromise. Any form of misconduct will attract serious consequences. Work hard, work selflessly, shun corruption and give Nigerians the credible elections they deserve,” he said.

On staff welfare, Amupitan announced that the commission had commenced a comprehensive review of employee welfare packages nationwide to improve morale and productivity.

According to him, one of the first issues he identified upon assuming office was the poor welfare of INEC staff, describing it as among the lowest in the country.

He assured workers that efforts were underway to improve their conditions of service, expressing confidence that the benefits of the reforms would soon become evident.

“We play a critical role in safeguarding Nigeria’s democracy. A stable political system depends largely on our independence and performance as an electoral body, and we are committed to improving staff welfare to support that responsibility,” he said.

As part of his visit to Niger State, Amupitan also inspected the ongoing Continuous Voter Registration (CVR) exercise at a registration centre within the INEC state headquarters.