Canada Reaffirms Support for Nigeria’s Free, Fair and Credible 2027 Elections

Canada Reaffirms Support for Nigeria’s Free, Fair and Credible 2027 Elections

…as INEC Assures of Enhancing Voter Participation

By Raphael Ekpang

Abuja (Core Reporters) – The Canadian Government has reaffirmed its commitment to supporting Nigeria’s democratic development and the conduct of free, fair, credible and legitimate elections ahead of the 2027 General Elections.

The Canadian High Commissioner to Nigeria, His Excellency Mr. David Sproule led the Canadian delegation to INEC headquarters in Abuja on Friday, August 21, where discussions focused on Nigeria’s electoral preparations, democratic governance, women’s participation and international support for the electoral process.

Sproule said Canada was pleased to contribute to efforts aimed at ensuring that Nigeria’s electoral process progresses successfully, stressing that the conduct of free and fair elections remained a priority for the Canadian Government.

“It is a pleasure to be here and to contribute to ensuring that the electoral process moves forward successfully. This includes supporting the conduct of free and fair elections, which is of great importance to us,” he said.

The Canadian envoy expressed particular interest in INEC’s plans for the 2027 elections and how the Commission intends to conduct and oversee the electoral process in a manner that strengthens public confidence and ensures the legitimacy of the outcome.

According to envoy, Canada has previously supported international election observation and remains willing to contribute constructively to the process.

“Most recently, we brought in international observers to monitor the conduct of elections,” the Ambassador said, adding that Canada was interested not only in observing the process but also in playing an active role through programmes that promote greater participation of women in Nigeria’s electoral process.

HE Sproule further said Canada was prepared to provide relevant information, technical support and other assistance that could contribute to meeting the requirements of the electoral process, encouraging citizens’ participation and supporting the evaluation and observation of elections.

“Our objective is to contribute constructively to the conduct of elections that are free, fair and legitimate. We are confident that this will be the case, and we stand ready, as appropriate, to assist in achieving that shared goal,” he said.

Responding, the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) Chairman, Professor Joash Amupitan, welcomed the Canadian delegation and expressed appreciation for Canada’s longstanding support for democracy, the rule of law, gender equality and institutional development in Nigeria.

Prof. Amupitan noted that Nigeria and Canada share important democratic values and described the engagement as timely, particularly as INEC intensifies preparations for the 2027 General Elections.

He reaffirmed INEC’s commitment to delivering free, fair, credible and transparent elections, stressing that lessons learned from previous electoral exercises continue to inform its operational planning and institutional reforms.

The Chairman said the commission’s priorities include enhancing voter participation, preventing electoral violence, strengthening public confidence in the electoral process, expanding access for women, youths and persons with disabilities, and improving electoral technology, data management and institutional capacity.

INEC also emphasised the importance of sustained collaboration with development partners, civil society organisations, political parties, the media and other stakeholders in strengthening civic and voter education and addressing emerging challenges in the electoral environment.

The Commission said it would continue to use lessons from recent elections to improve logistics, technology deployment, early-warning mechanisms, stakeholder engagement and crisis management ahead of the 2027 polls.

Amupitan welcomed continued Canadian partnership in the areas of international observation, technical cooperation, democratic participation and gender inclusion, expressing confidence that such collaboration would contribute to peaceful, credible and legitimate elections.

The visit ended with both sides expressing their commitment to continued cooperation in strengthening Nigeria’s democratic institutions and electoral process ahead of the 2027 General Elections.