INEC boss calls for peaceful, issue-based campaigns as Secretary receives ‘Gimbiyan Raya Kasan Minna’ title ahead of 2027 polls

By Africa Eye News, Minna

The Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Professor Joash Ojo Amupitan, has issued a direct appeal to political parties and their supporters to refrain from hostility and run campaigns focused strictly on key national issues as preparations gather momentum for the 2027 general elections.

Speaking in Minna, the capital of Niger State, Professor Amupitan stressed that political activities must not be allowed to degenerate into violence or disrupt public order. The electoral chief made the remarks during the turbanning ceremony of the INEC National Secretary, Rose Oriaran-Anthony, at the Palace of the Emir of Minna.”Voting is a fundamental right under our Constitution. It is not a privilege that is conferred to anybody,” Professor Amupitan said. “And we also want to appeal to our fathers to help us appeal to the politicians to conduct their campaigns peacefully, and avoid campaigns of calumny and denigration. Campaigns should be based on issues, and not heat up the system, and we don’t want a campaign that will lead to a breach of law and order.”

Role of traditional institutions

Urging traditional rulers to deploy their widespread social influence to ensure stability throughout the upcoming electoral sequence, Professor Amupitan called on royal fathers to maintain continuous counsel with politicians and their loyalists to guarantee responsible behavior. The INEC Chairman also used the occasion to praise traditional institutions for recognizing, elevating, and championing the vital role of women in national development.

A call to service

During the event, Mrs. Rose Oriaran-Anthony expressed gratitude to the Emir of Minna for conferring upon her the traditional title of Gimbiyan Raya Kasan Minna. Describing the honor as a solemn call to national service, she noted that the title serves as a direct acknowledgement of her previous developmental initiatives within the Emirate.”Like if you were in the palace, then you will hear when they were telling me my responsibility. There will be more engagements with the youth, with the children, with the women, and also attract developments to the emirate,” Mrs. Oriaran-Anthony said.

In a direct message to parents across the country, she advocated for equal opportunities for all children regardless of gender.”My message to the parents is that do not limit your children, whether boys, whether girls. For you do not know the child that God has destined to turn things around for the family, for the community, or for the nation,” she added.