The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has assured Nigerians of a more seamless electoral process in 2027, declaring that the glitch experienced with the INEC Result Viewing (IReV) portal during the 2023 general elections has been eliminated.
INEC Chairman, Professor Joash Amupitan, disclosed this at the Citizens’ Townhall Meeting on the Electoral Act 2026 held in Abuja, organised by the Civil Society Network on Electoral Integrity. The event examined the impact of the newly signed Electoral Act 2026 on the forthcoming general elections.
Amupitan said lessons from the 2023 polls informed ongoing reforms, noting that credible elections in 2027 would be anchored on nationwide stress-testing of electoral technology, infrastructure reinforcement, scenario-based simulations, and strengthened backend systems to handle peak demand.
“By the grace of God, the 2027 general election will be the best Nigeria has conducted. Nigeria in 2027 is more aware, more engaged, and more determined. Credible elections inspire trust, strengthen democracy, and command global respect,” he stated.
While acknowledging that a 100 percent perfect election may not be achievable, Amupitan cited logistics as a major challenge. He explained that while electronic transmission of results is achievable, guaranteeing instantaneous nationwide transmission remains difficult due to infrastructure gaps in remote areas.
To close identified gaps, INEC plans to conduct a mock presidential election to test interstate transmission and logistics. He recalled that the Bimodal Voter Accreditation System (BVAS) worked effectively in Osun State but encountered challenges during the presidential election due to interstate transmission.
Amupitan added that new validation safeguards have been introduced in BVAS, while the Electoral Act 2026 provides alternatives to ensure results are eventually transmitted from polling units, even where real-time upload fails. “The issue is not whether results will be transmitted. The law provides alternatives. Even if real-time transmission encounters delays, results must still be uploaded and collated,” he said.
Civil society voices also weighed in. Samson Itodo, Executive Director of YIAGA Africa, urged the government to make copies of the Electoral Act 2026 publicly available, stressing that citizens deserve full access to the law governing their votes. He warned against ambiguities that could enable manipulation, insisting that electoral laws only strengthen democracy when implemented with integrity, transparency, and oversight.
On his part, Senator Victor Ume advised party agents and stakeholders to cross-check results with the IReV portal to guard against manipulation, stressing that “the IReV portal will be a checkmate if properly used.”
By Ngozi Nwankwo, Abuja
