INEC promises credible 2027 polls
July 23, 2026 4:34 pm
Independent National Electoral Commission Logo. Photo: INEC
The Independent National Electoral Commission on Thursday expressed confidence that it has overcome the technical challenges that marred the electronic transmission of results during the 2023 general election.
INEC assured Nigerians that the 2027 polls would be free, fair, credible, inclusive and transparent.
The commission also said it was considering conducting a mock exercise on electronic transmission of election results well ahead of the 2027 general election, saying the proposal aligns with its ongoing plans.
INEC National Commissioner, Abdullahi Zuru, who represented the Chairman, Prof. Joash Amupitan, at a Policy Roundtable Discussion on Electronic Transmission of Results organised by Yiaga Africa in Abuja, said the commission had learnt from the shortcomings recorded during the 2023 elections and had significantly improved its deployment of election technology.
Delivering the chairman’s goodwill message, Zuru recalled that INEC had consistently advocated legal backing for electronic transmission of election results before the 2023 general election and successfully deployed the INEC Result Viewing Portal in several off-cycle elections before scaling it up nationwide.
He, however, acknowledged that the commission experienced technical difficulties in uploading presidential election results to the IReV portal during the 2023 polls.
“Unfortunately, this became very important in the light of the technical glitch experienced in uploading presidential election results to IReV. Let me assure you that we at INEC have learnt our lessons and improved our operations,” he said.
According to him, elections conducted after the 2023 general election—including governorship elections, Area Council elections in the FCT and several bye-elections have demonstrated the commission’s improved capacity in deploying election technology.
He assured Nigerians that the commission remained committed to conducting credible elections in 2027.
“We want to use this opportunity to assure Nigerians in general, and the voters in particular, that INEC will ensure that the 2027 general election shall be free, fair, credible, inclusive and transparent. Every valid vote will count. Voters will decide who governs them,” he said.
Responding to questions from journalists on the technical glitches and hacking concerns that trailed the 2023 presidential election, Zuru said the commission had moved beyond those challenges.
“Yes, we are confident we will be able to handle these issues. We’ve conducted several elections, bye-elections and governorship elections since the 2023 incidents that we had, and everybody agrees that there’s remarkable improvement in the elections that have been happening.
“We just conducted the governorship election in Anambra, the FCT elections. So this is clear evidence that we have moved on from where we were on this issue,” he added
Zuru also cautioned against placing absolute reliance on technology, stressing that integrity among election stakeholders remained critical to credible elections.
Drawing an analogy with Diego Maradona’s controversial “Hand of God” goal at the 1986 FIFA World Cup, the Commissioner said even the most advanced technologies could not eliminate every dispute.
“There are three important things: honesty, truth and sincerity. Once these things are there, technology will not be an issue. Let us leverage these values as a nation to ensure that everything we do is sincere, truthful and honest,” he said.
Earlier, Yiaga Africa unveiled a policy brief titled Securing the Vote: Electronic Transmission and Collation of Election Results, identifying legal and operational gaps in the Electoral Act 2026 and INEC’s Regulations and Guidelines on electronic transmission of election results.
Among other concerns, the civil society organisation noted that polling unit results are uploaded to the IReV portal only after backend validation rather than immediately after they are entered at polling units, while ward and local government collation results are not published on the portal.
It said the gap denies voters real-time visibility into critical stages of the results transmission process and fuels suspicion of manipulation.
Yiaga’s Executive Director, Samson Itodo, also argued that the introduction of an electronic version of Form EC8A had created uncertainty over which version should prevail where discrepancies arise.
The organisation recommended that INEC publish a clear protocol for transmitting polling unit results, upload ward and local government collation results to IReV, clarify the legally authoritative version of Form EC8A, revise Paragraph 40 of its Regulations and Guidelines, develop a comprehensive results management manual and conduct nationwide mock exercises before the 2027 general election.
Responding to the recommendation, Zuru said the commission was already considering such a move.
“This is an advice being given by Yiaga Africa, and this advice comes at the time we are thinking in the same direction. We will not wait until one week or two weeks to the election to do that; we will try to do that immediately.”
Yiaga said the proposed reforms fall within INEC’s constitutional and statutory powers and could be implemented ahead of the August 15 Osun State governorship election and the 2027 general election.
“Yiaga Africa notes that these measures require no legislative amendment and fall squarely within INEC’s existing constitutional and statutory powers. Accordingly, they can be implemented in advance of the 2026 Osun Governorship Election and the 2027 General Election,” Itodo stated.
The organisation also urged political parties, candidates, election observers, civil society groups, the media and citizens to sustain oversight and advocacy for a transparent, accountable and verifiable election results management process.
Nathaniel Shaibu is a correspondent at The PUNCH with three years of professional journalism experience. He covers the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), civil society, religion, and the Ministries of Women Affairs and Youth Development. In addition to his primary beats, Nathaniel also reports on politics, metro, security, and judicial matters, bringing clarity and balance to a wide range of public-interest stories. His work reflects hands-on newsroom experience, strong beat knowledge, and a commitment to accurate, responsible journalism.
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