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) scheduled to hold in Lagos.
Chairman of the 2026 conference planning committee and Deputy President of GOCOP, Olumide Iyanda, announced this in a statement issued on Monday by the Guild’s Publicity Secretary, Kemi Yesufu.
The conference, themed “2027 Elections: Trust, Transparency and Shared Responsibilities,” is scheduled for Thursday, October 8, 2026, at the Radisson Blu Hotel, 38 to 40 Isaac John Street, Ikeja GRA, Lagos.
Iyanda said Amupitan’s selection as keynote speaker was significant as Nigeria approaches the 2027 general elections, with attention increasingly focused on electoral credibility, public trust in institutions and the responsibilities of stakeholders.
As INEC chairman, Amupitan heads the institution responsible for conducting the 2027 general elections. He is a Professor of Law and Senior Advocate of Nigeria with experience in teaching, research and university administration.
His areas of scholarship include evidence law, corporate governance, company law, privatisation law and electoral jurisprudence.
Before his appointment as INEC chairman in October 2025, Amupitan held several academic and administrative positions at the University of Jos, including Deputy Vice Chancellor, Administration, and Dean of the Faculty of Law.
Iyanda said Amupitan’s legal scholarship, administrative experience and responsibility for conducting the 2027 elections positioned him to address the conference.
Iyanda said: “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 added: “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.”
He said the conference theme recognises that credible elections require more than the efforts of the electoral commission.
The event 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 centre on public confidence in the electoral process, access to credible information, transparency and the conduct of institutions and groups whose actions can affect electoral integrity.
GOCOP previously engaged with INEC ahead of the last general elections.
In 2022, Professor Mahmood Yakubu, then chairman of the commission, delivered the keynote address titled “2023 Elections: Managing the Process for Credible Outcome.”
The 2026 conference will be chaired by Dr Olisa Agbakoba, SAN, a former President of the Nigerian Bar Association and prominent human rights advocate.
Agbakoba has participated in Nigeria’s democracy and governance debates for decades, with particular interests in constitutional reform, human rights, electoral reform, public policy and the rule of law.
Iyanda said Agbakoba’s experience made him well suited to chair a conference examining trust, institutions and shared responsibility in the democratic process.
The event will also mark the 10th edition of the GOCOP annual conference.
GOCOP is a business membership organisation comprising 127 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 while working to strengthen the sustainability and credibility of digital journalism in Nigeria.
With more Nigerians turning to online platforms for news and public information, GOCOP promotes responsible publishing and credible journalism while highlighting issues affecting the growth and sustainability of the digital media industry.
Iyanda said the conference would also provide an opportunity 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.
