Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Prof. Joash Amupitan, has called for a stronger Nigerian Air Force (NAF) partnership for election logistics during Chief of Air Staff Air Marshal Kelvin Aneke’s visit. He stressed logistics as a major challenge for free, fair elections, acknowledging the military’s vital role in past smooth processes and the NAF’s matured air power as a “psychological weapon.” Amupitan praised Aneke’s leadership, positioning Nigeria strongly at the UN.
The revised Electoral Act 2026 timetable sets presidential and National Assembly elections for January 16, 2027, and governorship/state assembly polls for February 16, 2027. Key off-cycle governorship elections loom in Ekiti (June) and Osun (August 15), testing preparations amid public expectations for excellence. Amupitan highlighted that INEC underutilizes military logistics potential, proposing a dedicated joint team for advance planning—”failure to plan is planning to fail”—to ensure seamless deployment, security, and the vital link between legality and legitimacy.
Aneke hailed INEC’s reforms, including staff welfare, institutional upgrades, and sign language interpreters for persons with disabilities to boost transparency and accessibility. He reaffirmed the NAF-INEC bond rooted in national stability and rule of law, committing to airlift support (using alternate aircraft while C-130s undergo overseas maintenance), ISR for early threat detection, protection of INEC facilities/collation centers/logistics hubs, and inter-agency coordination with police for unified security—safeguarding Nigeria’s resilient democracy as Africa’s largest.
