The Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Joash Amupitan, has said that employees of the agency who were responsible for shortfalls recorded in Kuje and Kabusa during the Federal Capital Territory elections will be investigated.
![](https://thenigerialawyer.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/01/SADR.jpeg")
He said the workers would be punished if found guilty.
According to him, the transporters who were responsible for the delay in the movement of logistics to the Kwali area council will also be blacklisted.
Amupitan stated this while reviewing the FCT polls at a meeting with Resident Electoral Commissioners at the INEC headquarters in Abuja on Wednesday.
The meeting is being held exactly four days after the conduct of the Federal Capital Territory council elections and by-elections in Rivers and Kano state on Saturday.
Apart from reviewing the outcomes of those elections, the meeting is expected to afford the INEC chairman the opportunity to get feedback from the resident electoral commissioners about their concerns and preparations for the 2027 general election.
All resident electoral commissioners from the 36 states and the Federal Capital Territory were invited to the meeting.
Also attending the meeting is the forum of state independent electoral commissions, who are on a courtesy visit to the INEC chairman.
The leader of the delegation said the meeting is aimed at collaborating with INEC to strengthen local government elections across the states.
Joash Amupitan, chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), has directed resident electoral commissioners (RECs) nationwide to intensify voter education and sensitisation, following lessons from the just-concluded area council election in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT).
Amupitan gave the directive on Wednesday at a meeting with RECs and the swearing-in of a new REC for Abia state.
The INEC chairman noted that although turnout in the FCT improved from 9.4 percent in 2022 to about 15 percent in 2026 with over 239,000 voters casting ballots compared to 148,685 previously, apathy remains a concern.
He said some voters still struggled to locate their polling units despite widespread publicity and text messages sent by the commission.
“Our policies may be sound. Our intentions may be noble. But if citizens do not understand our processes, then the objective is only half achieved,” he said.
Amupitan urged citizens to verify their polling unit details ahead of elections using the commission’s online polling unit locator and, where necessary, visit their polling units before election day.
The chairman also addressed controversies over alleged “voter migration” in the FCT, insisting that no voter was moved in 2026.
He said the redistribution of about 6.7 million voters nationwide occurred in 2022 under the commission’s polling unit expansion initiative.
Amupitan said voter awareness must be continuous, not seasonal.
“I therefore direct all resident electoral commissioners to intensify voter education and sensitisation in your respective states. Voter awareness must not be episodic. It must be continuous,” he said.
“As resident electoral commissioners, you are the commission in your states. The buck stops with you.”
“Our policies may be sound. Our intentions may be noble. But if citizens do not understand our processes, then the objective is only half achieved.”
On logistics, Amupitan expressed displeasure that only 45 percent of polling units in the FCT opened by 8:30 am, although full coverage was achieved by 10:00 am.
“The initial delay is unacceptable. It fell short of our standards. It undermines public confidence. And it will not be tolerated,” he warned.
Amupitan added that erring officials in Kuje and Kabusa had been queried, while a transporter in Kwali would be blacklisted.
He noted that while elections were largely peaceful, with over 93 percent of results uploaded to the INEC result viewing portal by Sunday afternoon, there was “no room for error or excuse” as preparations intensify for upcoming governorship elections in Ekiti and Osun and the 2027 general election.
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