Flowerbud News/ The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has reaffirmed its commitment to strengthen collaboration with the National Orientation Agency (NOA), security agencies and other relevant stakeholders to ensure credible, peaceful and transparent general elections in 2027.
The Chairman of INEC, Prof. Joash Amupitan, gave the assurance on Thursday in Abuja at the commencement of the Nationwide Grassroots Mobilisation for the 2027 General Election, organised by NOA.
The theme of the campaign was, “Your Vote, Your Voice, Our Future: Say No to Apathy, Vote Buying and Violence”.
Amupitan said the forthcoming general election offered the country an opportunity to demonstrate its democratic progress and establish its readiness to conduct elections that would command national and international confidence.
“The upcoming 2027 general election presents us with an opportunity to demonstrate to Africa and the world that Nigerian democracy has matured beyond measure.
“Together with the National Orientation Agency, our security partners and every patriotic Nigerian will build a united, peaceful and democratic Nigeria in 2027,” he said.
According to him, Nigeria must use the election to demonstrate its preparedness in electoral administration, technological development and operational transparency.
Amupitan said INEC was committed to strengthening its institutional capacity and improving the systems required to deliver credible elections across the country.
He said that achieving the objective would require cooperation between the electoral commission, NOA, security agencies, civil society organisations and patriotic Nigerians.
The INEC chairman identified technology as a critical component of the electoral process, explaining that the commission is strengthening its technical infrastructure to protect electoral data and improve the efficiency of election administration.
He said that the large number of registered voters and the geographical challenges associated with conducting elections across Nigeria made the effective application of technology indispensable.
“Technological improvements will help reduce delays in the accreditation and announcement of election results while enhancing transparency and accountability,” he said.
Amupitan said that there had been occasions when Nigerians waited several days for election results to be announced, adding that INEC is working to prevent such delays through improved technological arrangements.
He said the commission had secured the procurement of additional bimodal voter accreditation systems to strengthen its capacity to accredit voters during the 2027 general election.
He said that INEC was also expanding hardware redundancy and deploying additional equipment to ensure that technological challenges did not disrupt electoral operations.
The chairman said the equipment was being delivered, tested and configured ahead of the elections as part of measures to strengthen the commission’s operational readiness.
Amupitan acknowledged public concerns over the technological challenges experienced during the 2023 general elections, saying INEC is taking steps to address the issues and improve its systems.
He said the commission was working to ensure that accreditation equipment and other technological facilities were sufficiently available across the country before the next presidential election.
According to him, improving the reliability of electoral technology remains central to the commission’s efforts to strengthen public trust and ensure that every eligible voter can participate without unnecessary difficulties.
The INEC chairman also identified the protection of polling-unit results as a non-negotiable aspect of the commission’s transparency framework.
He said that the commission was strengthening the electronic transmission and publication of polling-unit results, including the uploading of Form EC8A, to promote transparency and allow citizens to verify electoral outcomes.
Amupitan said comprehensive cybersecurity measures were being deployed to protect INEC’s networks, data transmission channels and digital systems against cyberattacks and unauthorised interference.
He said that technological advancement had introduced new challenges, particularly with the emergence of artificial intelligence and other sophisticated digital tools that could potentially be exploited to undermine electoral credibility.
He said INEC would continue to update its security systems in collaboration with development partners and technology vendors to identify emerging threats and prevent disruptions during the elections.
The chairman said that the proper use of Form EC8A would help safeguard the accuracy, authenticity and reliability of results recorded at polling units.
Amupitan further said that INEC had digitised its candidate nomination process through the commission’s online nomination portal, known as the INEC Candidate Nomination Portal (ICNP).
He said the initiative was being implemented in compliance with Section 29 of the Electoral Act 2026 and was designed to improve the transparency and integrity of political parties’ candidate nomination procedures.
According to him, the digital process will help prevent discrepancies between candidates who emerged from party primaries and the names subsequently submitted to the commission for elections.
He said that following the conclusion of party primaries, the details of nominated candidates were being uploaded to the portal to ensure that the commission maintained accurate records of candidates selected through the recognised party processes.
Amupitan said the digital system would also allow INEC to reflect changes arising from successful appeals after party primaries, thereby ensuring that only duly recognised candidates are included in the nomination process.
He said that the initiative was intended to address past challenges involving the substitution of candidates, arbitrary exclusions and disputes over party nominations.
The INEC chairman said strengthening digital nomination procedures would improve accountability, reduce administrative errors and reinforce confidence in the electoral system.
In his keynote address, Malam Lanre Issa-Onilu, Director-General of NOA, said the agency was committed to helping Nigerians understand the electoral process and appreciate their responsibilities as citizens.
“For the NOA, our responsibility is to help citizens understand the process, recognise their role and obtain reliable information,” Issa-Onilu said.
According to him, civic education must be presented in ways that make participation in elections understandable and relevant to the everyday lives of Nigerians.
He said that voter apathy weakened democratic representation by allowing a smaller proportion of citizens to determine decisions that affected the wider population.
“Vote buying undermines the freedom of voters to make independent choices, particularly when financial inducements are used to exploit the economic vulnerability of citizens,” he said.
The NOA boss also condemned electoral violence, noting that it threatens lives, silences voters and damages relationships within communities long after elections have ended.
He said that political competition should never be allowed to result in the loss of lives or the destruction of peaceful relationships among Nigerians.
“No political ambition should cost a Nigerian life,” he said.
He further cautioned against allowing political disagreements to destroy the bonds between neighbours, emphasising that peaceful coexistence remains essential to national unity and democratic development.
“No disagreement should destroy the bonds between neighbours,” he said.
Issa-Onilu also urged Nigerians to reject financial inducements capable of influencing their electoral choices, stressing that the country’s collective future should not be determined by temporary personal benefits.
“No temporary inducement should determine a citizen’s choice about our collective future,” he said.
He said that convictions would guide the grassroots mobilisation campaign as the agency intensified efforts to educate citizens on the importance of responsible political participation.
The NOA director-general called on stakeholders, community leaders and other relevant institutions to support the campaign by promoting peaceful conduct, voter awareness and respect for democratic principles.
He said that the success of the 2027 general elections would depend on INEC’s preparedness, and also on the willingness of citizens to participate responsibly and reject practices capable of undermining electoral credibility.
NAN
