The Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission, Professor Joash Amupitan, has called for strict operational discipline across INEC offices ahead of the 2027 general elections.

Speaking on Monday in Lagos at the opening of a two-day Strategic Operational Workshop for Administrative Secretaries from the 36 states and FCT, Amupitan described them as the “engine room” of INEC’s state operations.

He said the successes recorded in recent off-cycle elections, especially in Osun State, must be replicated nationwide and made an “unbreakable national standard” for 2027.

To drive this, INEC is rolling out a new tool the Administrative Secretary Master Operational Tracker Template. The data-driven system will provide real-time updates on the readiness of state offices and will be linked directly to the Election Monitoring and Support Centre in Abuja.

Through the tracker, INEC headquarters will be able to monitor the distribution of election materials and the training of staff across states as they happen.

Amupitan said the goal is to move INEC from reactive to proactive management, so that problems are fixed before they affect elections.

“If you tolerate shortcuts, shortcuts will multiply. If you tolerate political interference, neutrality will deteriorate… Your responsibility is to build an administrative culture capable of delivering a credible election,” he warned.

Quoting former US Secretary of State Colin Powell, the INEC boss said success comes from preparation, hard work and learning from failure.

The workshop will stress-test 5 key areas:

1. Voter registration & PVC collection – as the register nears 100 million voters

2. Logistics – receipt, storage and deployment of sensitive materials

3. Technology – mastery of BVAS, IReV and CROMS

4. Human Resources – recruitment and training of ad-hoc staff

5. Finance – workflow automation and procurement compliance

According to INEC’s timetable, the 2027 general elections will begin on January 16 with Presidential and National Assembly polls. The final voter register will be published on January 11. Governorship and State Assembly elections hold on March 6, 2027.