2027: INEC begins clean-up of voter register, lists challenges ahead of polls
- To deploy 1.4m ad-hoc staff across 176,000 polling units
By Omeiza Ajayi
ABUJA: As political activities heighten across the country, the Independent National Electoral Commission INEC has declared that it is scaling up its operational capacity to deploy approximately 1.4 million ad-hoc personnel across over 176,000 polling units nationwide for the 2027 General Elections.
The Commission also disclosed that it is utilizing the Automated Biometric Identification System ABIS under the Continuous Voter Registration CVR framework to eliminate duplicate entries and maintain a clean, verified National Register of Voters.
Welcoming the Pre-Election Assessment Mission PEAM delegation of the International Republican Institute IRI led by former U.S. Assistant Secretary of State for African Affairs, Ambassador Jendayi Frazier, at the INEC Headquarters in Abuja on Tuesday, the Chairman of the Commission, Prof. Joash Amupitan, SAN, listed major threats confronting the electoral space, warning that systemic risks continue to pose direct dangers to public trust.
“Security risks, localised electoral violence, vote-buying, and the rapid proliferation of hate speech, disinformation, and Foreign Information Manipulation and Interference FIMI pose direct threats to voter confidence,” Amupitan noted.
The visit coincided with key electoral milestones, coming three days after the Osun State Off-Cycle Governorship Election and a day before the official statutory commencement of public campaigns and rallies for the 2027 General Election on Wednesday, August 19, 2026.
Prof. Amupitan noted that the mission offers an independent perspective as the Commission transitions into full-scale national election preparations.
He revealed that INEC has consistently used recent off-cycle governorship elections and legislative by-elections as live operational tests for its field logistics, security coordination, and technological framework, stressing that technology has permanently closed legacy vulnerabilities in Nigeria’s voting system.
“The performance of the Bimodal Voter Accreditation System BVAS for dual biometric verification and the real-time public display of Polling Unit result sheets (Form EC8A) on the INEC Result Viewing IReV portal continues to demonstrate high operational reliability, achieving upload rates above 98% in recent off-cycle contests. Technology has permanently closed the door on legacy voting vulnerabilities, ensuring that the ballot box alone determines electoral outcomes,” he said.
Outlining the key pillars of the Commission’s ongoing operational roadmap, the INEC Chairman stated that focus is being directed towards voter register audits, expanding early-deployment frameworks with transport unions to guarantee an 8:30 AM opening at all polling sites, and improving assistive devices for Persons with Disabilities PWDs, pregnant women, and elderly voters.
To combat security and financial threats, he stated that the Commission is collaborating closely with security agencies under the Inter-Agency Consultative Committee on Election Security ICCES and anti-graft bodies, including the EFCC and ICPC, to enforce campaign finance rules, monitor electoral offences, and prosecute violators.
The INEC boss added that the Commission would join presidential candidates later in the day to sign the National Peace Committee’s Peace Accord on Issue-Based Campaigns to foster civility among political actors.
Reaffirming the electoral umpire’s neutral standing, Prof. Amupitan assured the international observer delegation of full institutional transparency and unreserved cooperation.
“As an electoral management body, our sole mandate is to serve as an uncompromising, impartial umpire dedicated to delivering a free, fair, credible, transparent, and inclusive election that reflects the sovereign will of the Nigerian people,” he added.
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