2027: INEC begins clean-up of voter register, lists challenges ahead of polls

Nigeria's Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) is significantly scaling up its operational capacity for the 2027 General Elections, planning to deploy approximately 1.4 million ad-hoc personnel across more than 176,000 polling units nationwide. This move comes as political activities intensify across the country.

The commission is actively working to ensure a clean and verified National Register of Voters by utilizing the Automated Biometric Identification System (ABIS) under the Continuous Voter Registration (CVR) framework. This system aims to eliminate duplicate entries and enhance the integrity of the voter roll.

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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

During a meeting with a Pre-Election Assessment Mission delegation from the International Republican Institute (IRI), INEC Chairman Prof. Joash Amupitan outlined the substantial challenges confronting the electoral process. He warned that systemic risks, including security threats, localized electoral violence, vote-buying, and the rapid proliferation of hate speech, disinformation, and foreign interference, pose direct dangers to public trust.

Prof. Amupitan emphasized the reliability of INEC's technological framework, particularly the Bimodal Voter Accreditation System (BVAS) for dual biometric verification and the real-time display of results on the INEC Result Viewing (IReV) portal. He stated that technology has permanently addressed legacy vulnerabilities in Nigeria's voting system, ensuring that outcomes are determined solely by the ballot box. The commission is also focusing on voter register audits, expanding early deployment frameworks, and improving assistive devices for vulnerable voters.

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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% in recent off-cycle contests. Technology has permanently closed the door on legacy voting vulnerabilities, ensuring that the ballot box alone determines electoral outcomes