The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has urged Nigerians to safeguard the integrity of the electoral process and help rebuild public confidence ahead of the 2027 general elections. The call was made by the Resident Electoral Commissioner for Abia State, Sylvia Agu, during the 2026 Media Retreat and Press Week organised by the Correspondents’ Chapel of the Nigeria Union of Journalists, Abia State Council, in Umuahia.
The event, held on Wednesday, was themed “The Future of Journalism in an Era of Disinformation,” a subject that underscored the commission’s growing concern about the influence of false information on public trust in elections.
Misinformation Poses a Threat to Electoral Credibility
Agu warned that misinformation and false narratives could seriously undermine public confidence in the electoral system. She stressed that the credibility of the 2027 polls would depend not only on activities at polling units but also on the information Nigerians receive and believe.
“In this digital age, our good name as a nation, our electoral integrity, is what is constantly at risk of being affected by falsehood. The imperative of electoral integrity cannot be overemphasised,” she said.
According to the REC, the 2027 elections will not be won or lost merely at the polling gates. “It will be won or lost in the realm of perception, information and public trust,” she added.
Declining Public Confidence Under the Spotlight
Agu identified declining public confidence as a major challenge confronting Nigeria’s electoral process. She noted that perceptions about the conduct of elections, as well as the credibility of information shared with voters, could shape trust in the system.
To address this, she said INEC is strengthening the use of technology in the electoral process, including the Bimodal Voter Accreditation System (BVAS) and the INEC Result Viewing Portal, to improve transparency and restore public confidence.
Describing the BVAS as an important safeguard against electoral malpractice, particularly fictitious accreditation and voting, Agu said the device had helped curb irregularities. “The BVAS is for accreditation. It has gone a long way to salvage benefits. The drama that played out in 2023 was salvaged by the BVAS. It is a game changer. But for the BVAS, we don’t know who registered,” she said.
Technology, Cybersecurity and Lessons From 2023
The REC explained that the commission has continued to improve its election technology by applying lessons learnt from previous electoral cycles. Current priorities, she said, include strengthening the BVAS and other technological systems, improving cybersecurity, protecting voter and election data, and ensuring the reliability of digital infrastructure.
Agu also disclosed that INEC is exploring the responsible use of artificial intelligence to improve operational efficiency, planning, data analysis and decision-making. She, however, emphasised that AI would support rather than replace human judgement in the commission’s operations.
“AI is not intended to replace human judgement. Rather, it is intended to assist staff, improve operational effectiveness and support informed decision-making, while maintaining transparency, accountability, ethical governance and human oversight,” she said.
On preparations for 2027, Agu revealed that INEC has been testing its technological equipment and IT facilities to minimise the risk of technical failures. “In fact, in the past two months, we have been testing our power banks, all the systems we have, and our IT facilities. We have been testing the system because we don’t want to hear stories again. We learnt from the 2023 election of that glitch,” she said.
She noted that the reliability of election technology depends on the capacity of the personnel operating it, adding that INEC is investing in continuous training and retraining of staff. The commission’s preparations include technical training, voter education, simulation exercises, knowledge sharing and other capacity-building initiatives to ensure personnel are competent and ready for the elections.
Why the 2023 Experience Still Matters
INEC’s preparations for the 2027 general elections come amid continuing public debate over the performance of its technology during the 2023 polls, particularly the delayed transmission of presidential election results to the INEC Result Viewing Portal. The commission attributed the delay to technical glitches, while the development drew criticism from political parties, observers and sections of the electorate. The experience renewed calls for greater transparency, improved technological reliability and stronger public confidence in the electoral process.
As the 2027 elections approach, the commission’s message is clear: protecting electoral integrity is a shared responsibility, and the battle for public trust will be fought as much in the information space as at the polling unit.
