The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has suspended further annual leave for its personnel as preparations intensify for the 2027 general elections, while announcing improved salaries, allowances and operational support for its workforce.

INEC Chairman, Professor Joash Amupitan, disclosed the measures on Friday during the commission’s North-Central Zonal Interactive Meeting with Staff and Readiness Assessment for the 2027 General Election in Lokoja, Kogi State.

Amupitan said the decision to suspend further annual leave was necessary to ensure adequate staffing and operational readiness as the commission prepares to conduct elections involving more than 103 million registered voters across 176,846 polling units.

He also warned that negligence, political partisanship, financial misconduct and absenteeism would attract sanctions, directing Resident Electoral Commissioners and Administrative Secretaries to enforce strict attendance and accountability measures.

Beyond the disciplinary directive, the INEC chairman announced improvements to staff welfare, including a new salary structure, enhanced hazard and field allowances, increased funding for state offices and additional operational vehicles.

He disclosed that the Consolidated Election Management Body Salary Structure (CEMBSS) took effect on January 1, 2026, following the commission’s decision to move away from the conventional civil service salary structure. However, arrangements for its cash-backing were still ongoing.

Amupitan further revealed that INEC had approved a 150 per cent increase in monthly overhead allocations to state offices, effective July 1, 2026, alongside improved salary and allowance packages for personnel.

On logistics, he said operational pickup vehicles had been distributed to state and local government offices nationwide, while 20 Sports Utility Vehicles had been procured for Resident Electoral Commissioners. Administrative Secretaries are also expected to receive additional vehicles.

The commission is also strengthening its electoral technology ahead of the polls. Amupitan disclosed that INEC was configuring 57,000 newly procured Bimodal Voter Accreditation System (BVAS) devices and auditing its electronic result management systems to improve voter accreditation and the verification of election results.

He added that the preliminary voters’ register had been published for public scrutiny, while the certified Register of Voters was scheduled for publication on December 15, 2026.

The INEC chairman also highlighted plans to strengthen election security through collaboration with relevant agencies under the Inter-Agency Consultative Committee on Election Security, with the objective of identifying potential flashpoints and protecting voters, electoral personnel and materials.

Separately, the commission on Friday disowned a publication circulating on social media claiming that it had reaffirmed the David Mark-led leadership of the African Democratic Congress (ADC).

INEC described the publication as unauthorised, noting that it featured the commission’s logo and the image of National Commissioner Mohammed Haruna without approval. It urged Nigerians to disregard the claim and rely on its official communication channels.

The clarification followed a Federal High Court judgment in Abuja that nullified the Mark-led ADC caretaker leadership and invalidated decisions taken under its authority, including the process that produced former Vice-President Atiku Abubakar as the party’s presidential candidate for the 2027 elections.

With the presidential and National Assembly elections scheduled for January 16, 2027, and governorship and State Houses of Assembly elections fixed for February 6, INEC faces increasing pressure to demonstrate that its administrative, technological and security preparations will translate into a credible electoral process.