The Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, Professor Joash Amupitan, will deliver the keynote address at the 10th Annual Conference of the Guild of Corporate Online Publishers, GOCOP, in Lagos next month, organisers announced on Monday.
The conference, themed “2027 Elections: Trust, Transparency and Shared Responsibilities,” is scheduled for Thursday, October 8, 2026, in Lagos.
Chairman of the conference planning committee and Deputy President of GOCOP, Mr Olumide Iyanda, said the choice of Amupitan reflects the growing national focus on the credibility of the electoral process as Nigeria inches toward the 2027 general elections.
“The 2027 elections will be about more than what INEC does on election day,” Iyanda said in a statement issued by the Guild’s Publicity Secretary, Ms Kemi Yesufu. “The credibility of the process will depend on the conduct of institutions, political parties and candidates, the media, civil society and the electorate. That is why we deliberately chose a theme that speaks to trust, transparency and shared responsibilities”, the statement read.
Amupitan, a Professor of Law and Senior Advocate of Nigeria, was appointed INEC Chairman in October 2025. Before his appointment, he held several academic and administrative positions at the University of Jos, including Deputy Vice Chancellor (Administration) and Dean of the Faculty of Law. His scholarship spans the law of evidence, corporate governance, company law, privatisation law and electoral jurisprudence.
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Iyanda said the INEC boss is well positioned to offer insight into preparations for 2027, the challenges ahead, and the role of other stakeholders in supporting a credible process.
“The INEC chairman occupies a unique position in that conversation,” he said. “Professor Amupitan has the responsibility of leading the institution that will manage the elections, but he also comes to that responsibility with a strong background in law, governance and institutional administration.”
Former President of the Nigerian Bar Association and prominent human rights advocate, Dr Olisa Agbakoba, SAN, will chair the conference. Agbakoba has been a leading voice in Nigeria’s democracy and governance debates for decades, with focus on constitutional reform, human rights, electoral reform and the rule of law.
This will not be the first time an INEC chairman addresses the GOCOP conference. In 2022, Amupitan’s predecessor, Professor Mahmood Yakubu, delivered the keynote entitled “2023 Elections: Managing the Process for Credible Outcome” ahead of the last general elections.
This year’s gathering, the 10th in the series, will examine the responsibilities of electoral institutions, political parties and candidates, the media, civil society and voters. Discussions are also expected to cover public confidence in the electoral process, access to credible information, transparency, and the conduct of institutions whose actions can affect the integrity of elections.
Iyanda added that the conference will give online publishers an opportunity to interrogate the media’s responsibility in providing accurate, fair and credible information as political activities intensify ahead of 2027.
GOCOP is a business membership organisation of 127 online publications in Nigeria, comprising media entrepreneurs who own and operate digital publishing businesses across the country. The Guild promotes the business and ethics of online publishing, professional standards, and the sustainability of digital journalism in Nigeria.
