The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has reaffirmed its commitment to conducting transparent, credible and trustworthy elections in 2027, unveiling measures to strengthen electoral technology, protect election results and combat misinformation ahead of the polls.
The Commission also urged online publishers and other media organisations to prioritise accuracy, responsible reporting and voter education as Nigeria approaches the 2027 General Elections.
The INEC Chairman, Prof. Joash Amupitan, SAN, made the call in a keynote address delivered by the Resident Electoral Commissioner (REC) for Lagos State, Prof. Ayobami Salami, at the 10th Annual Conference of the Guild of Corporate Online Publishers (GOCOP), held in Lagos on Thursday, October 8, 2026.
The conference, themed “2027 Elections – Trust, Transparency and Shared Responsibilities,”brought together media professionals, election stakeholders, academics, civil society organisations and other participants to examine the role of public confidence and shared responsibility in strengthening Nigeria’s democracy.
With 98 days to the January 16, 2027 Presidential and National Assembly Elections, Amupitan said INEC had recorded significant progress in implementing its statutory timetable and strengthening its operational, technological and logistical capacity.
He disclosed that the Commission had embarked on a multidimensional overhaul covering election administration, technology, logistics, staff capacity and field readiness.
According to him, INEC’s operations are coordinated through 23 headquarters departments and directorates, 36 state offices, including the Federal Capital Territory, and 774 Local Government Area offices nationwide.
Providing an update on voter registration, the INEC Chairman disclosed that the three phases of the Continuous Voter Registration (CVR) exercise conducted between August 2025 and July 2026 captured more than 10.6 million new voters.
He said the development had brought Nigeria’s National Register of Voters to a historic 103 million registered citizens following the completion of data processing and synchronisation.
Amupitan announced that nationwide collection of Permanent Voters’ Cards (PVCs) would commence on Friday, October 9, 2026, urging GOCOP members and other online publishers to mobilise registered voters and provide accurate information on designated collection centres.
He stressed that the media had a critical responsibility to ensure eligible voters were adequately informed about the collection exercise and other activities on the electoral timetable.
On the deployment of technology, Amupitan highlighted upgrades to the Bimodal Voter Accreditation System (BVAS) and the enhanced eEC8A system, designed to improve the electronic visibility of polling unit results.
He also disclosed that the Commission was deploying artificial intelligence-supported auditing and strengthening its cyber-defence systems to protect electoral databases and critical infrastructure.
The INEC Chairman, however, cautioned that technology alone could not guarantee credible elections, noting that electoral trust must be earned through consistent, verifiable and transparent implementation of the electoral process.
He said public confidence depended on faithful compliance with electoral laws, effective logistics, internal discipline and transparent communication with citizens.
A major focus of the keynote address was the growing influence of digital media on electoral credibility.
Amupitan warned that fake news, unverified leaks, sensational reporting, politically charged narratives about violence and AI-generated deepfakes could undermine public confidence, heighten political tensions and discourage voter participation.
