…Acquires 57,000 BVAS as voter register rises above 103m
The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) says it is targeting the simultaneous commencement of voting at all polling units across Nigeria in the 2027 general elections, as it steps up preparations for the polls scheduled to begin in January.
The INEC Chairman, Prof. Joash Amupitan, disclosed this on Monday in Abuja at a strategic workshop for editors organised by the Nigerian Guild of Editors (NGE) in collaboration with the commission.
Amupitan said the commission had learnt lessons from recent off-cycle elections and was working to improve its logistics, personnel and technology to prevent delays on election day.
“So some of those lessons from those elections, right from our technology optimisation, must improve. Our logistics must improve,” he said.
“I want to see a general election where voting starts in all the polling units in Nigeria at the same instance. That is what we are targeting, where logistics is well-addressed, and where our technology works optimally.”
The chairman said INEC had commenced early procurement and distribution of non-sensitive election materials to its state offices and had procured new operational pickup vehicles for state and local government offices.
He said the measures were intended to improve the movement of personnel and election materials and address logistical challenges that could delay the commencement of voting.
The commission has also commenced nationwide zonal readiness assessments, with physical audits and engagements with staff already conducted in the South-West and North-West zones.
According to Amupitan, the assessments are designed to identify local vulnerabilities, test contingency arrangements and address potential bottlenecks before election day.
INEC acquires 57,000 new BVAS
Amupitan disclosed that INEC had acquired 57,000 new Bimodal Voter Accreditation System (BVAS) devices ahead of the elections.
He said the devices were undergoing software hardening, battery optimisation and biometric calibration to improve their performance and prevent manipulation.
INEC is also upgrading its electronic results management system through the enhanced electronic EC8A.
Amupitan said the system would allow polling unit result sheets to be digitised, cryptographically authenticated and uploaded directly to the INEC Result Viewing Portal (IReV).
The commission’s chairman said effective and transparent management of election results was among the key lessons from the controversies that followed the 2023 general elections.
He said INEC was determined to ensure that results were managed “effectively, optimally, and transparently”, with declarations made promptly after the completion of collation.
“Because the only way that can save us in this country from all the problems we’ve had since 2023 is if we manage our results effectively, optimally, and transparently, and then ensure that the results are declared as soon as the work of collation is completed,” Amupitan said.
He said the approach would allow citizens to follow the results process more closely and reduce the suspicion and misinformation that often accompany delayed or poorly communicated results.
Voter register rises above 103m
The INEC chairman also disclosed that Nigeria’s National Register of Voters had risen to more than 103 million following the completion of the three-phase Continuous Voter Registration (CVR) exercise and final biometric clean-up.
The exercise produced 10,772,421 new registrations, subject to the final verification process.
Amupitan said the commission had introduced an online registration portal during the third phase of the CVR to reduce the difficulties associated with distance and time.
He also announced that nationwide collection of Permanent Voters’ Cards would begin on Friday, 9 October 2026.
The commission has also introduced printable PVCs under Section 18(1) of the Electoral Act 2026.
“Apart from that, we also introduced another technology, which is the printable PVC technology in line with Section 18(1) of the Electoral Act, to ensure that waiting becomes a relic of the past,” he said.
Amupitan said the technology was tested during the Osun governorship election and used to enable voters whose PVCs had been stolen to exercise their voting rights.
101 days to presidential poll
Monday’s workshop came 101 days before the presidential and National Assembly elections scheduled for 16 January 2027, while the governorship and State Houses of Assembly elections are scheduled for 6 February.
Amupitan said INEC had completed eight of the 14 major statutory activities contained in its revised timetable and was advancing towards the ninth milestone.
He also warned political actors against vote-buying, violence and other practices capable of undermining the elections.
Recent reports from the workshop said the commission had vowed to work with relevant agencies to monitor illegal campaign spending and enforce sanctions against electoral offences ahead of the polls.
On the role of the media, Amupitan described editors as the “bridge in an era of information chaos” and urged newsrooms to prioritise verification over sensational reporting.
“When newsrooms prioritise factual accuracy over sensational headlines, when reports contextualise field logistics rather than default to inflammatory speculation, and when information is verified before publication, you perform a sacred public service. You act as the primary filter protecting our democracy against information disorder,” he said.
“As the nation prepares for the 2027 General Elections, let us work together to build a public space powered by verified facts, civic responsibility, and unassailable institutional trust.”
NGE: Citizens’ votes must decide elections
The President of the Nigerian Guild of Editors, Eze Anaba, said the credibility of the media was closely linked to the credibility of the electoral process.
“The credibility of the media is itself an essential component of the credibility of the electoral process. The Nigerian Guild of Editors is committed to working with INEC, and other stakeholders, to promote elections that Nigerians can trust, and a media that the citizens can rely upon for credible information,” Anaba said.
He expressed concern over the growing role of the courts in determining electoral outcomes after elections, saying the electoral system should be strengthened so that voters, rather than judges, ultimately determine who wins elections.
“There’s a need for us to fight for our electoral process to be fair, transparent, and to avoid courts being the last port of call. People are talking about selectorates these days. People are talking about courts speaking for citizens as a last arbiter for voters,” the NGE President stated.
“But hopefully, with this next round of elections, citizens’ votes will speak. We cannot grow as a democracy without a very strong electoral body.
“The Guild believes strongly that a credible election is a shared responsibility. INEC has its constitutional mandate. Political parties and analysts have their responsibilities. The media has its own obligation, and ultimately, citizens must be adequately informed and empowered to participate in the electoral process.”
The workshop, themed “Strengthening Democracy Through Partnership Among Editors, Civil Society and Electoral Institutions,” was convened as INEC intensifies its preparations for the 2027 elections, with the commission placing particular emphasis on logistics, technology, transparent results management and public confidence.
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