By Bisi Bamishe
Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Professor Joash Amupitan, is to deliver the keynote address at the 10th Annual Conference of the Guild of Corporate Online Publishers (GOCOP), scheduled to hold in Lagos.
INEC Chairman
Chairman of the 2026 conference planning committee and Deputy President of GOCOP, Mr Olumide Iyanda, announced this in a statement issued on Monday by the Guild’s Publicity Secretary, Ms Kemi Yesufu.
The conference, which has at its theme, “2027 Elections: Trust, Transparency and Shared Responsibilities,” will hold on Thursday, October 8, 2026, at Radisson Blu Hotel, 38 to 40 Isaac John Street, Ikeja GRA, Lagos.
Iyanda said the choice of Amupitan as keynote speaker is significant as Nigeria moves closer to the 2027 general elections and attention turns to the credibility of the electoral process, public trust in institutions and the responsibilities of the different stakeholders involved.
As INEC Chairman, Amupitan leads the institution responsible for conducting the 2027 general elections. He is a Professor of Law and Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN), with a background in teaching, research and university administration. His areas of scholarship include the law of evidence, corporate governance, company law, privatisation law and electoral jurisprudence.
Before his appointment as INEC Chairman in October 2025, he held several academic and administrative positions at the University of Jos, including Deputy Vice Chancellor (Administration) and Dean of the Faculty of Law.
Iyanda noted that Amupitan’s combination of legal scholarship, administrative experience and responsibility for the conduct of the 2027 elections makes him well placed to address the conference.
“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. That is why we deliberately chose a theme that speaks to trust, transparency and shared responsibilities,” he said.
“The INEC chairman occupies a unique position in that conversation. 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. 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.”
Iyanda said the conference theme recognises that credible elections require more than the work of the electoral commission.
The conference will examine the responsibilities of electoral institutions, political parties and candidates, the media, civil society and voters as Nigeria prepares for another general election.
Discussions will also focus on public confidence in the electoral process, access to credible information, transparency and the conduct of the different institutions and groups whose actions can affect the integrity of elections.
GOCOP had a similar engagement with INEC ahead of the last general elections. In 2022, Professor Mahmood Yakubu, then Chairman of the Commission, delivered the keynote entitled “2023 Elections: Managing the Process for Credible Outcome.”
The 2026 conference will be chaired by one of Nigeria’s most influential legal minds, human rights advocates and former President of the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA), Dr Olisa Agbakoba, SAN.
Agbakoba has been involved in Nigeria’s democracy and governance debates for several decades, with particular interest in constitutional reform, human rights, electoral reform, public policy and the rule of law.
Iyanda said his experience makes him a good fit to chair a conference examining trust, institutions and shared responsibility in the democratic process.
The 2026 conference also marks the 10th edition of the GOCOP annual conference.
GOCOP is a business membership organisation of 127 foremost and credible online publications in Nigeria. Its members are 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 collective interests of its members. It also works to strengthen the sustainability and credibility of digital journalism in Nigeria.
With a growing number of Nigerians getting their news and public information online, GOCOP encourages responsible publishing and credible journalism while drawing attention to issues affecting the growth and sustainability of the digital media industry.
Iyanda said the conference will also provide an opportunity for online publishers to examine the responsibility of the media in providing accurate, fair and credible information as political activities increase ahead of the 2027 elections.
