Joash Amupitan, chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), says Nigerians’ votes will count in the 2027 general election.
Speaking on Friday during a courtesy visit to Abdulsalami Abubakar, chairman of the national peace committee, at his residence in Minna, Niger state, Amupitan described the former head of state as “the father of democracy in Nigeria.”
He noted that Abubakar’s transition to civilian rule in 1999 marked a defining moment in the country’s democratic history.
Amupitan said the commission regarded Abubakar “not merely as a statesman but as a pillar of support for INEC”.
He also commended Abubakar’s role as chairman of the national peace committee, describing its peace accord initiative as “a moralising influence on Nigeria’s political ecosystem.”
According to the INEC chairman, the initiative had provided political actors with a platform to commit to non-violence, thereby strengthening “the sovereignty of the will of the Nigerian people.”
He said the visit was “a pilgrimage
