According to a report by Vanguard on Saturday, May 30, 2026, the chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Prof. Joash Amupitan, SAN, is currently in Seoul, South Korea, leading a delegation of senior officials to observe local government elections as part of preparations for Nigeria’s 2027 general elections.
According to INEC’s Daily Bulletin released on Saturday, the delegation includes National Commissioner, Mrs. May Agbamuche-Mbu; Chief Technical Adviser to the Chairman, Prof. Dimis Mai-Lafia; and the Director of Training, Dr. Binta Kasim Mohammed.
The team participated in the opening ceremony of the International Election Observation Programme (IEOP), organised by South Korea’s National Election Commission (NEC). The programme is running alongside South Korea’s nationwide simultaneous local elections scheduled from May 29 to June 5, 2026.
The opening event, held in Seoul, brought together election management bodies, policy experts, and international observers from various countries to monitor and assess electoral practices.
As part of their engagement, the INEC delegation visited a polling centre in Mia-dong, Gangbuk-gu, where they observed early voting procedures and interacted with election officials overseeing the process.
INEC explained that the study visit is aimed at exposing the commission to advanced electoral systems and global best practices in election administration, observation frameworks, and governance models.
The commission further noted that the experience is expected to strengthen institutional capacity and support ongoing reforms designed to improve electoral transparency and efficiency in Nigeria ahead of the 2027 general elections.
It added that continuous international engagement remains central to its strategy for building public confidence and enhancing the credibility of democratic processes in the country.
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