The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has launched new technical measures to forestall inaccurate election outcomes and figures indicating over-voting from showing on its Result Viewing Portal (IReV) forward of the 2027 common elections.
INEC Chairman, Prof. Joash Amupitan, disclosed this on Thursday in London, saying the fee had recognized weaknesses within the end result administration course of following the controversies that trailed the 2023 presidential election.
In an announcement issued by his Chief Press Secretary and Media Adviser, Adedayo Oketola, Amupitan mentioned the brand new safeguards would be sure that inaccurate outcomes had been detected and blocked earlier than reaching the general public portal.
“We have now devised a technical safeguard: if a result is not accurate at the polling unit, it will not go to IReV at all,” he mentioned.
The chairman spoke at Chatham House throughout a high-level dialogue organised in partnership with the Kimpact Development Initiative (KDI), with the theme, “Nigeria’s 2027 Elections: Democratic Trajectory and Regional Stability Beyond the Ballot.”
He defined that INEC’s post-election evaluation recognized collation centres as a serious supply of issues within the administration and declaration of election ends in 2023.
“We found that the core problem of election result management and declaration in Nigeria is not even at the polling unit—it is at the collation centres,” he mentioned.
Amupitan added that the fee was working to remove inconsistencies between polling unit figures and collation information to enhance the credibility of the electoral course of.
He additionally introduced that INEC would conduct a nationwide mock accreditation and voting train on November 28, 2026, to check its technological preparations for the 2027 elections.
“On the 28th of this month, we will conduct a mock accreditation and voting exercise across all states of the federation to simulate the presidential election and verify that we have gotten both accreditation and electronic result transmission right,” he mentioned.
The INEC chairman disclosed that the fee had thought-about adopting a completely new electoral know-how for the 2027 elections however determined to improve its present infrastructure due to the restricted time earlier than the polls.
On considerations over the malfunctioning of the Bimodal Voter Accreditation System (BVAS) through the 2023 elections, notably in areas affected by excessive warmth and poor storage situations, he mentioned the fee was developing climate-controlled storage amenities throughout the states and the Federal Capital Territory.
He additional disclosed that INEC had procured further BVAS gadgets and diminished the utmost variety of registered voters assigned to every machine from 1,250 to 850.
According to him, polling items with greater than 850 registered voters could be supplied with further gadgets to make sure a smoother accreditation course of.
Addressing the belief deficit arising from the 2023 presidential election, Amupitan acknowledged that the controversies surrounding the train had considerably broken public confidence within the fee.
“First and foremost, let me speak about what happened in 2023, which resulted in a significant trust deficit for INEC—damage so large that the Commission has not yet fully recovered from it,” he mentioned.
However, he urged Nigerians to belief his management, citing enhancements recorded in latest off-cycle elections, together with the governorship polls in Anambra, Osun and Ekiti states, the FCT Area Council elections and 16 legislative by-elections.
He mentioned the latest governorship elections in Anambra and Osun demonstrated enhancements within the fee’s administrative processes, noting that ends in each states had been declared the day after voting.
On the funding of the 2027 common elections, Amupitan mentioned INEC had obtained a considerable portion of its permitted price range however was awaiting the discharge of the excellent stability.
He mentioned the fee had obtained assurances that the remaining funds, together with allocations for the recruitment and welfare of advert hoc election personnel, could be launched earlier than the top of November.
The chairman additionally dismissed allegations questioning his neutrality following claims on social media linking his phone quantity to a controversial X account.
He denied working an X account, disclosing that an unbiased forensic examination had been obtained and the matter referred to the Department of State Services (DSS) and the Inspector-General of Police for investigation.
Amupitan additionally rejected options that his earlier involvement in political instances as a authorized practitioner may compromise his impartiality, insisting that he acted strictly in his skilled capability as a Senior Advocate of Nigeria earlier than his appointment.
“My loyalty is solely to the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria and the Electoral Act,” he mentioned.
On allegations of irregularities within the voters’ register, together with claims of an 85 per cent enhance in registered voters in a ward in Ebonyi State, he mentioned the fee had investigated and resolved the grievance in accordance with statutory procedures.
He urged Nigerians, notably younger individuals, to stay actively concerned within the democratic course of and guard towards misinformation.
“This country belongs to young Nigerians, and they must not relent in working for the Nigeria they desire,” he mentioned.
The 2027 presidential and National Assembly elections are scheduled for January 16, whereas governorship and State Houses of Assembly elections will maintain on February 6, 2027.
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