With 114 days to Nigeria’s January 16, 2027 Presidential and National Assembly elections, the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) says preparations are progressing according to its timetable, although experts have raised concerns about funding, communication and public confidence in the electoral process. (Vanguard News)
INEC Chairman, Prof. Joash Amupitan, made this known at a Democracy and Governance Forum organised by West Africa Democracy Radio (WADR) in Abuja under its “Voices for Democracy and Freedoms in West Africa” initiative.
The commission’s Director of Planning and Monitoring, Mrs Helen Ajayi, represented Amupitan at the forum and presented a paper titled “INEC Preparedness for 2027 General Elections.”
Ajayi said INEC’s timetable had been translated into a coordinated programme covering its departments and directorates, state offices, the Federal Capital Territory and the 774 local government areas.
She explained that some activities had already been completed, others were ongoing, while those scheduled for later dates were yet to begin.
INEC Gives Update on Voter Registration and PVCs
On voter registration, Ajayi said the Continuous Voter Registration (CVR) exercise and the display of the preliminary register for claims and objections had been completed.
She said the generation of the PDF register for nationwide display and the synchronisation of CVR data were ongoing, while preparations for the collection of Permanent Voter Cards (PVCs) had also commenced.
According to her, INEC would inform the public when the PVCs are ready for collection.
On logistics, Ajayi disclosed that procurement and delivery of non-sensitive electoral materials to state offices had begun.
She said the early deployment would give the commission enough time to distribute the materials ahead of election day.
INEC has also conducted training programmes for electoral personnel, including Grade Level 8 to 16 staff at the state level, as part of preparations for the polls.
Voter Education Campaign Planned
Ajayi said the commission was preparing an intensified voter education campaign covering voting procedures, accreditation, the use of the Bimodal Voter Accreditation System (BVAS), election-day procedures and PVC collection.
She said the campaign would particularly target women, young people, persons with disabilities and citizens living in hard-to-reach communities.
The commission also said improvements to BVAS and the deployment of the EC8A result form were aimed at improving end-to-end visibility of election results and reducing opportunities for manual interference.
Ajayi disclosed that INEC had also begun nationwide zonal readiness assessments and engagements with staff across the six geopolitical zones.
The exercise started in Lagos with the South-West zone from September 7 to 9, while the North-West zone is scheduled to be hosted by Kaduna State.
She said the assessments are designed to evaluate preparedness at state and local government levels, identify operational gaps and emerging risks, and engage Resident Electoral Commissioners, Administrative Secretaries, Electoral Officers and other frontline personnel.
Experts Raise Funding and Trust Concerns
Delivering the keynote address, WADR board member, Dr Abubakar Muhammad Kudu, acknowledged the progress made by INEC but said challenges remained in funding, communication and public trust.
He urged the commission to maintain regular voter education, improve communication with stakeholders and strengthen public confidence through transparency.
Kudu also raised concerns about provisions of the Electoral Act concerning ballot authenticity and the integrity of election officials.
He described BVAS and the INEC Result Viewing (IReV) portal as important components of the electoral process, particularly for younger Nigerians.
He urged the incoming leadership of the commission to maintain neutrality, ensure funds are released through the required implementation chain and improve communication with stakeholders.
Kudu also called on the media to adopt conflict-sensitive reporting, fact-check information and guard against AI-generated disinformation and deepfakes.
He told political actors that they “cannot love democracy and hate accountability.”
During a panel session, pro-democracy activist Mrs Ene Obi urged Nigerians to participate in the 2027 elections and exercise their right to vote.
Public policy analyst Jide Ojo and veteran journalist Topsy Gimba also called on the media to hold political actors accountable to the electorate.
WADR Calls for Responsible Election Reporting
Earlier, WADR Managing Director Agnes John-Thomasi said the Abuja forum was part of a project supported by the National Endowment for Democracy (NED), titled “Voices for Democracy and Freedoms in West Africa.”
She said the initiative was created in response to challenges facing democratic resilience in the region, including shrinking civic space, disinformation and weaknesses in accountability.
John-Thomasi said Nigeria is one of four countries covered by the project, alongside The Gambia, Benin and Togo.
She described Nigeria as particularly important to the initiative because of the approaching 2027 elections.
She urged journalists and media organisations to maintain professional standards, follow the ethics of journalism and report impartially throughout the electoral process.
