Hope Ajayi 
ABUJA, Nigeria- The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has unveiled a new real-time operational monitoring system as part of preparations for the 2027 general elections, with its Chairman, Professor Joash Amupitan, urging Administrative Secretaries across the country to uphold discipline, neutrality and operational excellence.
Speaking on Monday at the opening of a two-day Strategic Operational Workshop in Lagos, Amupitan described the Administrative Secretaries as the “engine room” of INEC’s state operations, saying their performance would determine the commission’s readiness for the nationwide polls.
He said the commission intends to build on the successes recorded during recent off-cycle elections, particularly in Osun State, by institutionalising best practices across all 36 states and the Federal Capital Territory.
As part of the reforms, INEC introduced the Administrative Secretary Master Operational Tracker Template, a data-driven platform that will provide real-time updates on election preparedness across state offices.
The system will be integrated with the Election Monitoring and Support Centre (EMSC), enabling the commission’s headquarters to monitor logistics, personnel deployment, distribution of election materials and training activities as they occur nationwide.
According to Amupitan, the tracker is designed to move INEC from reactive decision-making to proactive planning by identifying operational challenges before they affect election delivery.
“If you tolerate shortcuts, shortcuts will multiply. If you tolerate political interference, neutrality will deteriorate. Your responsibility is to build an administrative culture capable of delivering credible elections,” he told participants.
Quoting former United States Secretary of State, Colin Powell, the INEC chairman stressed that successful elections depend on thorough preparation, continuous learning and disciplined execution.
The workshop will focus on five critical operational areas, including voter registration and Permanent Voter Card (PVC) distribution, logistics and election materials management, deployment of election technology, recruitment and training of ad hoc personnel, as well as financial management and procurement compliance.
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Korede Abdullah 
Mirian Gom 