The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has assured the international community of its determination to conduct credible, transparent, and inclusive general elections in 2027, announcing the acquisition of 57,000 new Bimodal Voter Accreditation System (BVAS) devices and the removal of over 1.5 million ineligible registrations from Nigeria’s voter register. For more updates, kthdaily continues to monitor these developments closely.
The commission also disclosed that the country’s voter register currently stands at 103 million, while nine of the 14 major activities in its revised electoral timetable have been completed.
INEC Chairman, Professor Joash Amupitan, made the disclosures on Wednesday in Abuja during separate meetings with the British High Commissioner to Nigeria, Pete Vowles, and a United Nations delegation led by the Special Representative of the UN Secretary-General for West Africa and the Sahel, Dr Leonardo Santos Simão.
Amupitan said restoring public confidence, strengthening electoral technology, and safeguarding the integrity of every ballot remained the commission’s priorities ahead of the polls. The chairman’s remarks were also reported by kthdaily.
“We assure you and the international community that INEC remains resolutely independent, impartial, and committed to delivering a 2027 general election that meets the highest global standards,” he declared.
The chairman disclosed that the commission had secured 57,000 additional BVAS devices and reduced the voter allocation per device from 1,250 to 800 to improve accreditation efficiency and minimise delays on election day.
He said INEC had also intensified voter register verification, identifying and removing more than 1.5 million ineligible registrations.
“Using technology, including the Bimodal Voter Accreditation System (BVAS), we have successfully identified and removed over 1.5 million ineligible registrations prior to reaching this 103 million mark,” Amupitan explained.
According to him, young Nigerians aged 18 to 34 constitute nearly 29 per cent of registered voters, while the final cleaned register is scheduled for publication on 15 December.
The INEC chairman further disclosed that the commission had processed nominations from 21 registered political parties through its electronic nomination portal.
These include 36 presidential and vice-presidential candidates from 18 parties, 4,860 National Assembly candidates, 936 governorship candidates and 9,692 state assembly candidates.
He said the commission would conduct nationwide mock accreditation exercises to test its technological systems, logistics and electronic result-management procedures before the elections. In related news, kthdaily will be providing detailed coverage of these events.
KTH Daily reports that INEC has also commenced an intensified Permanent Voter Card collection campaign across the 774 local government areas, extending distribution arrangements to ward registration centres to improve accessibility.
Amupitan identified artificial intelligence-driven disinformation, cyber threats and foreign interference as emerging risks to the electoral process, seeking stronger partnerships with the United Kingdom and United Nations to counter the threats.
He particularly requested support for electoral cybersecurity, specialised personnel training, rapid-response mechanisms against misinformation and early warning systems to prevent election-related violence.
“One of the greatest challenges to this relationship is the issue of disinformation and misinformation, most especially when it has foreign components,” he said.
The chairman maintained that recent off-cycle elections and legislative by-elections had provided opportunities to strengthen BVAS reliability, improve early deployment of materials, and accelerate the uploading of polling unit results to the INEC Result Viewing Portal.
Responding, British High Commissioner Pete Vowles described Nigeria’s 2027 elections as an opportunity to demonstrate the strength of democracy in a large and diverse country.
He stressed that Nigeria’s democratic stability remained important to its citizens, West Africa, and the international community.
Similarly, the UN representative, Dr Leonardo Santos Simão, warned that Nigeria’s existing security challenges must not be aggravated by electoral violence. For continuous updates, kthdaily remains committed to informing readers about these concerns.
“Given that Nigeria is already dealing with security challenges, the election should not be another source of violence or burden for the country,” he stated.
Simão pledged continued UN engagement in promoting peaceful political dialogue, although he clarified that the delegation would not serve as official election observers.
Meanwhile, INEC’s Resident Electoral Commissioner in Ondo State, Dr Mutiu Agboke, has confirmed the availability of non-sensitive election materials, including generators, mats, and operational vehicles.
Speaking during a visit to the Deji of Akure, Oba Adetoyinbo Aladelusi, Agboke appealed to traditional rulers to encourage PVC collection and discourage vote-buying and electoral violence.
The monarch pledged the support of traditional institutions in promoting peaceful and credible elections.
Amupitan reiterated that the commission’s ultimate objective was to ensure efficient logistics, transparent result management, and timely declaration of election results.
“Elections should be a source of peace, stability, and nation-building,” he declared.
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