The Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission, Prof Joash Amupitan, will deliver the keynote address at the 10th annual conference of the Guild of Corporate Online Publishers scheduled for October 8 in Lagos.
The 2026 conference, themed, “2027 Elections: Trust, Transparency and Shared Responsibilities,” will hold at the Radisson Blu Hotel, Ikeja GRA, Lagos.
The chairman of the conference planning committee and Deputy President of GOCOP, Olumide Iyanda, disclosed this in a statement issued on Monday by the Guild’s Publicity Secretary, Kemi Yesufu.
Iyanda said Amupitan’s participation was significant as Nigeria approaches the 2027 general elections, with concerns over electoral credibility, public trust and the responsibilities of stakeholders taking centre stage.
He said the INEC chairman was well positioned to address the issues given his legal background, academic experience and responsibility for conducting the 2027 elections.
“The 2027 elections will be about more than what INEC does on election day. The credibility of the process will depend on the conduct of institutions, political parties and candidates, the media, civil society and the electorate,” Iyanda said.
He added that the conference theme was deliberately designed to emphasise the collective responsibility required to deliver credible elections.
“We expect his keynote address to provide important insight into the preparations for 2027, the challenges ahead and what other stakeholders must do to support a credible process,” he said.
Amupitan, a Professor of Law and Senior Advocate of Nigeria, became INEC chairman in October 2025. Before his appointment, he held various academic and administrative positions at the University of Jos, including Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Administration) and Dean of the Faculty of Law.
His areas of scholarship include evidence law, corporate governance, company law, privatisation law and electoral jurisprudence.
The conference will examine the roles of electoral institutions, political parties, candidates, the media, civil society organisations and voters in ensuring a credible electoral process.
It will also focus on public confidence in elections, access to reliable information, transparency and the conduct of institutions and groups capable of influencing electoral integrity.
GOCOP had previously engaged INEC ahead of the 2023 general elections, with the then commission chairman, Prof Mahmood Yakubu, delivering the keynote address at its 2022 conference.
The 2026 conference will be chaired by former President of the Nigerian Bar Association, Dr Olisa Agbakoba, SAN.
Agbakoba, a prominent human rights advocate and lawyer, has been involved in debates on democracy, constitutional reform, electoral reform, public policy and the rule of law.
The conference also marks the 10th edition of GOCOP’s annual gathering.
GOCOP said it has 127 online publications as members and works to promote professional and ethical standards, sustainable digital journalism and the collective interests of online publishers in Nigeria.
The Guild said the conference would also provide an avenue for online publishers to examine the media’s responsibility in providing accurate, fair and credible information as political activities intensify ahead of the 2027 elections.
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