The Chairman of Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Josh Amupitan has said that the commission’s staff have been removed from the civil service payment structure to allow the commission to operate under a separate electoral and salary structure.
Amupitan spoke on Tuesday at a press conference and national stakeholders’ meeting in Abuja where he also added that INEC staff are the least paid in Nigeria.
He said the commission had taken “radical steps” to improve the welfare of its personnel by removing them from the civil service salary structure.
He noted the move was part of efforts to address gaps identified within the commission and improve the electoral system.
In his words: “We are not called civil servants. What we have learnt under the civil service payment structure, which we have just removed INEC from, is to have their own separate structure, electoral structure, and separate salary structure from the civil service,” Amupitan said.
“So, those are some of the gaps. There are many others that we have discovered. And we felt that if they address them, it will be able to solve some of the problems we have with the system.
“INEC staff is the least paid in Nigeria. So, we felt if we want to demand and hold our staff responsible, we should give them a living wage.
“And that is why we have taken some very radical steps to ensure that the welfare of INEC staff is prioritised.
The INEC boss also said it has commenced a review of the Supreme Court judgment restoring key provisions of the Electoral Act 2026.
Amupitan said the commission had received complaints from political parties, aggrieved aspirants and members of the National Assembly over the implications of the Supreme Court judgment in the case between INEC and the Zenith Labour Party, ZLP.
The Supreme Court, in its September 24, 2026 judgment, upheld the constitutionality of sections 77(5), 77(6), 77(7) and 84(2) of the Electoral Act 2026 and restored INEC’s revised timetable and schedule of activities for the 2027 elections.
Amupitan said INEC only received the certified true copy of the judgment on Tuesday and was studying its contents before determining the next steps.
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