Amupitan, Agbakoba to Headline GOCOP 10th Annual Conference
The Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Professor Joash Amupitan, SAN, will deliver the keynote address at the 10th Annual Conference of the Guild of Corporate Online Publishers (GOCOP), scheduled to hold in Lagos.
The announcement was made on Monday by the Chairman of the 2026 Conference Planning Committee and Deputy President of GOCOP, Mr Olumide Iyanda, in a statement issued by the Guild’s Publicity Secretary, Ms Kemi Yesufu.
The conference, themed “2027 Elections: Trust, Transparency and Shared Responsibilities,” is scheduled for Thursday, October 8, 2026, at the Radisson Blu Hotel, 38–40 Isaac John Street, Ikeja GRA, Lagos.
Iyanda said the decision to invite Amupitan as keynote speaker was particularly significant as Nigeria approaches the 2027 general elections, with growing attention on electoral credibility, public confidence in democratic institutions and the responsibilities of key stakeholders.
According to him, Amupitan is uniquely positioned to address the conference because of his role as INEC Chairman and his extensive background in law, governance, research and institutional administration.
Amupitan, a Professor of Law and Senior Advocate of Nigeria, assumed office as 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 areas of scholarship include evidence law, corporate governance, company law, privatisation law and electoral jurisprudence.
Iyanda said the 2027 elections would require collective commitment from electoral institutions, political parties, candidates, the media, civil society organisations and voters.
“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,” he said.
He added that GOCOP deliberately chose the theme to underscore the need for trust, transparency and shared responsibility in the electoral process.
“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,” Iyanda said.
He expressed confidence that the keynote address would provide valuable insights into preparations for the 2027 elections, anticipated challenges and the roles other stakeholders must play in supporting credible elections.
The conference will also examine public confidence in the electoral process, access to credible information, transparency and the conduct of institutions and stakeholders whose actions could influence the integrity of elections.
GOCOP had previously engaged INEC ahead of the 2023 general elections, when the then INEC Chairman, Professor Mahmood Yakubu, delivered the keynote address at the Guild’s 2022 conference on “2023 Elections: Managing the Process for Credible Outcome.”
Meanwhile, the 2026 conference will be chaired by renowned legal practitioner, human rights advocate and former President of the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA), Dr Olisa Agbakoba, SAN.
Agbakoba, who has been involved in Nigeria’s democracy and governance discourse for decades, has a strong interest in constitutional reform, human rights, electoral reform, public policy and the rule of law.
Iyanda said Agbakoba’s wealth of experience made him an appropriate choice to chair a conference focused on trust, institutions and shared responsibility in Nigeria’s democratic process.
The event also marks the 10th edition of GOCOP’s annual conference, bringing together online publishers and other stakeholders in the media, politics, governance and democratic space.
GOCOP is a business membership organisation comprising 127 online publications in Nigeria. The Guild promotes professional and ethical standards in online publishing, protects the collective interests of its members and advocates greater sustainability and credibility in Nigeria’s digital media industry.
Iyanda said the conference would also offer online publishers an opportunity to reflect on their responsibility to provide accurate, fair and credible information as political activities intensify ahead of the 2027 elections.
