The Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, Prof Joash Amupitan, SAN, has appealed to the Revenue Mobilisation Allocation and Fiscal Commission, RMAFC, for increased and consistent funding to strengthen the Commission’s operations ahead of the 2027 general elections.

Amupitan made the appeal on Tuesday, during a courtesy visit to the RMAFC Chairman, Dr. Mohammed Bello Shehu, in Abuja, describing the visit as part of ongoing efforts to deepen collaboration between the two federal bodies.

He said INEC’s constitutional mandate covers the conduct of elections for the offices of the President, Vice President, National Assembly, State Governors, State Houses of Assembly, and the Area Councils of the Federal Capital Territory, as well as continuous voter registration and the registration of political parties.

The INEC Chairman noted that the cost of conducting governorship elections alone exceeds the combined cost of Presidential and National Assembly elections, and that the Commission also bears the financial burden of pre-election and post-election matters, including election petitions arising from party primaries.

He explained that INEC maintains offices across all 36 states and the FCT, as well as in all 774 local government areas, with the Federal Government currently bearing the full cost of these nationwide operations.

Amupitan stressed the need for improved welfare packages for INEC staff, noting that competitive remuneration remains essential to retaining skilled personnel and sustaining institutional efficiency.

He observed that the Commission had, in recent times, lost some experienced staff to migration, attributing the trend in part to inadequate remuneration, and warned that a widening skill gap could result as more experienced personnel approach retirement. He said improved welfare conditions would boost staff morale and strengthen public confidence in the Commission’s electoral outcomes.

He called for improved infrastructure funding and adequate investment in electoral technology and personnel training, stressing that these investments remain vital to safeguarding institutional knowledge within the Commission.

He assured the RMAFC that INEC remained committed to delivering free, fair, transparent and credible elections, noting that the Presidential and National Assembly elections are scheduled for 16 January 2027, while the Governorship and State Houses of Assembly elections will hold on 6 February 2027.

The INEC Chairman also disclosed that the Commission will conduct off-cycle governorship election in Osun state on 15 August 2026, adding that INEC’s most recent Governorship in Ekiti state and bye elections in other states had received commendation both locally and internationally.

Responding, the RMAFC Chairman, Dr. Mohammed Bello Shehu, commended INEC for its consistency in conducting elections since 1999 and pledged the Commission’s support towards ensuring INEC delivers credible polls in 2027.

Shehu acknowledged the scale of INEC’s responsibilities across the federal, state and local government levels, describing the Commission’s operational demands as enormous given its nationwide presence.

He assured Prof. Amupitan and his team that RMAFC’s doors remained open for continued engagement and collaboration in support of INEC’s electoral mandate.

The INEC Chairman was accompanied by National Commissioners, the Secretary of the Commission, technical aides and directors, while the RMAFC Chairman received the delegation alongside the Vice Chairman, Commissioners, and senior directors of the Commission.

The Abuja Division of the Federal High Court has fixed July 15, 2026 for the substantive hearing of a suit filed by Accord Party chieftain, Dr Gbenga Olawepo-Hashim, seeking an order compelling the party to recognise him as its presidential candidate for the 2027 general election and forward his name to the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC.

The adjournment followed the late entrance of INEC into the dispute, after both the party and the electoral body served fresh court processes on Hashim’s legal team shortly before Tuesday’s hearing began.

Counsel to the plaintiff, Henry Akunebu, SAN, told the court that the documents had only just been received and requested time to study and respond before the substantive hearing could proceed. Justice Mohammed Umar granted the request and adjourned the matter to Wednesday.

The proceedings drew hundreds of Accord Party members and supporters to the court complex, who surrounded Hashim on arrival and remained at the venue throughout the hearing.

Hashim, who named Accord Party and INEC as first and second defendants in an Originating Summons, is asking the court to determine whether the party’s failure to upload his name to INEC’s nomination portal despite his emergence as sole winner of the May 30 primary violates the Electoral Act 2026, the Constitution, and INEC’s guidelines for political parties.

He is seeking a declaration that the party’s refusal to forward his name breached Section 86 of the Electoral Act 2026 and Clauses 28(1) and (2) of the electoral guidelines on candidate nomination, and wants the court to order Accord Party to upload and submit his name to INEC.

In the alternative, he is asking the court to decline to order submission of his name, insisting that the party be directed to conduct a fresh presidential primary in which he would participate.

In an affidavit supporting the suit, Hashim described himself as a registered and financial member of Accord Party, stating that he sponsored the party’s electronic membership drive with a payment of ₦7 million and paid the prescribed ₦50 million nomination fee to contest the presidential primary.

He said he emerged as sole aspirant and winner of the exercise, which was monitored by INEC officials in line with the Electoral Act, alleging that despite his victory, the party failed to submit his name to INEC and had not issued aspirants with guidelines for the primary as required by INEC regulations, though he proceeded on the strength of assurances he said were given by the party’s national leadership.

In a written address, Akunebu argued that political parties are legally bound to comply with the Electoral Act, their constitutions, and INEC’s guidelines in nominating candidates, and that a party which conducts a valid primary is statutorily obligated to submit the winner’s name to INEC.

He urged the court to uphold internal party democracy by granting all the reliefs sought.

Former Speaker of the House of Representatives, Yakubu Dogara, has denied reports that he plans to leave the All Progressives Congress (APC) over the party’s Muslim-Muslim presidential ticket ahead of the 2027 elections.

In a statement issued on Tuesday by his spokesperson, Dr Dominic Alancha, Dogara described the reports as false, saying he remains a loyal member of the ruling party.

“We wish to state categorically that these claims are false, baseless, and deliberately intended to mislead the public and create unnecessary political tension,” Alancha said.

He added, “Rt. Hon. Yakubu Dogara remains a committed and loyal member of the All Progressives Congress (APC). He has neither resigned from the party nor expressed any intention to do so.”

The statement also blamed “mischief makers seeking to sow division within the APC” for spreading the rumours.

According to Alancha, Dogara is focused on strengthening the APC ahead of the 2027 elections and working with party leaders and supporters across the country.

The statement further said, “Rt. Hon. Dogara is committed to supporting the re-election of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and ensuring the victory of the APC in the 2027 general election.”

He urged the public and the media to ignore unverified reports and rely only on official information.