GistReel
The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has warned that several security, political and information-related challenges could threaten the credibility of Nigeria’s 2027 general elections.
INEC Chairman, Prof. Joash Amupitan, SAN, raised the concerns on Tuesday in Abuja while receiving a Pre-Election Assessment Mission (PEAM) delegation from the International Republican Institute (IRI).
The delegation was led by former United States Assistant Secretary of State for African Affairs, Ambassador Jendayi Frazier.
INEC outlines major electoral threats
Amupitan listed insecurity, localised electoral violence, vote-buying, hate speech, disinformation and Foreign Information Manipulation and Interference (FIMI) among the major risks facing the next general elections.
He warned that these challenges could weaken public trust in the electoral process if they were not effectively tackled.
“Security risks, localised electoral violence, vote-buying, and the rapid proliferation of hate speech, disinformation, and Foreign Information Manipulation and Interference, FIMI, pose direct threats to voter confidence,” he said.
The meeting took place shortly after the Osun State governorship election and on the eve of the statutory commencement of campaigns and rallies for the 2027 elections.
Amupitan described the IRI assessment as valuable because it would provide an independent perspective as INEC moved into full-scale preparations for the elections.
Commission prepares for large-scale deployment
According to the INEC chairman, the commission is strengthening its operational capacity ahead of the elections.
He said about 1.4 million ad-hoc personnel would be required to conduct voting across more than 176,000 polling units nationwide.
The commission is also deploying the Automated Biometric Identification System (ABIS) through the Continuous Voter Registration (CVR) process.
Amupitan said the system would help detect duplicate registrations and ensure that the National Register of Voters remains accurate and verified.
He added that recent governorship elections held outside the regular election cycle, alongside legislative by-elections, had provided opportunities for INEC to test its logistics, security arrangements and technological systems.
INEC highlights role of technology
The commission said technological improvements had helped reduce some of the weaknesses associated with Nigeria’s previous electoral processes.
Amupitan specifically pointed to the performance of the Bimodal Voter Accreditation System (BVAS), which is used for biometric verification.
He also cited the real-time publication of Polling Unit result sheets, Form EC8A, on the INEC Result Viewing (IReV) portal.
“The performance of the Bimodal Voter Accreditation System, BVAS, for dual biometric verification and the real-time public display of Polling Unit result sheets, Form EC8A, on the INEC Result Viewing, IReV, portal continues to demonstrate high operational reliability, achieving upload rates above 98 per cent in recent off-cycle contests,” he said.
Focus on logistics and voter accessibility
Amupitan said INEC’s preparations would include audits of the voter register and early arrangements for election-day transportation.
The commission plans to work with transport unions to help ensure that polling units open by 8:30 a.m.
It also intends to improve assistive facilities for persons with disabilities, pregnant women and elderly voters.
On electoral security and financial misconduct, the INEC chairman said the commission would continue working with security and anti-corruption agencies.
He identified the Inter-Agency Consultative Committee on Election Security (ICCES), the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) and the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) as key partners.
The collaboration, he explained, would focus on enforcing campaign finance rules, monitoring electoral offences and ensuring that offenders face prosecution.
INEC reaffirms neutrality
Amupitan also disclosed that INEC would join presidential candidates in signing the National Peace Committee’s Peace Accord on Issue-Based Campaigns.
The initiative is intended to encourage peaceful and issue-focused political campaigns ahead of the 2027 elections.
Reaffirming INEC’s commitment to neutrality, the chairman assured the IRI delegation that the commission would remain transparent and cooperate with stakeholders throughout the electoral process.
“As an electoral management body, our sole mandate is to serve as an uncompromising, impartial umpire dedicated to delivering a free, fair, credible, transparent, and inclusive election that reflects the sovereign will of the Nigerian people,” he said.