The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has directed its staff to suspend further annual leave as preparations intensify for the 2027 general elections.
The commission also warned that employees found guilty of negligence, absenteeism, financial misconduct or political partisanship would face disciplinary action.
INEC Chairman, Professor Joash Amupitan, announced the directive on Friday during a readiness assessment meeting with staff in Lokoja, Kogi State.
He stressed the need for discipline, commitment and professionalism among electoral officials, warning that the commission would not tolerate conduct capable of undermining its operations.
Amupitan instructed Resident Electoral Commissioners and Administrative Secretaries to strengthen attendance monitoring and ensure proper accountability among personnel.
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The warning comes as the commission prepares for the 2027 general elections, which will involve more than 103 million registered voters across 176,846 polling units nationwide.
The presidential and National Assembly elections are scheduled for January 16, 2027, while governorship and state assembly elections will take place on February 6, 2027.
Meanwhile, the INEC chairman announced improvements in staff welfare, including a new salary structure, increased allowances and additional funding for state offices.
He disclosed that the Consolidated Election Management Body Salary Structure became effective on January 1, 2026, although arrangements for its full financial implementation were still ongoing.
According to him, salary, hazard and field allowances have also been reviewed upward, while monthly overhead allocations to state offices increased by 150 per cent from July 1, 2026.
On operational support, Amupitan said the commission had distributed pickup vehicles to its state and local government offices. He added that 20 new Sports Utility Vehicles had been purchased for Resident Electoral Commissioners, with Administrative Secretaries also expected to receive vehicles.
The chairman further revealed that INEC was configuring 57,000 newly acquired Bimodal Voter Accreditation System (BVAS) machines to strengthen voter identification and accreditation during the elections.
He said the commission was also reviewing its electronic result management systems, including the eEC8A verification platform, to ensure reliable transmission of polling unit results to the INEC Result Viewing Portal.
On voter registration, Amupitan announced that printable Permanent Voter Cards (PVCs) and a digital PVC Location Portal had been activated to make the process more accessible.
He added that the preliminary voters’ register had been made available for public examination, while the certified register would be released on December 15, 2026.
Addressing concerns about photographs appearing on the preliminary voters’ register, the INEC chairman explained that the information was still undergoing verification before the final register would be published.
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