The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has assured Nigerians that ballot box snatching and manual alteration of election results have become things of the past, insisting that its legal and technological safeguards are strong enough to protect votes in the 2027 general elections.
The assurance was given on Wednesday, July 1, during a courtesy visit to the commission’s headquarters in Abuja by the Director-General of the National Orientation Agency (NOA), Mallam Lanre Issa-Onilu. The meeting also served as an opportunity for both institutions to strengthen collaboration on voter education ahead of the 2027 elections.
Speaking during the visit, the INEC chairman, who noted that the presidential election is scheduled for January 16 and the governorship elections for February 6, 2027, said the commission must begin an aggressive voter education campaign immediately. He warned that voter apathy and the spread of misinformation remain significant threats to credible elections.
“We need to teach Nigerians why their votes matter and how our legal and technological safeguards protect their choices,” he said.
“We must look the rural farmer, the market woman, and the disillusioned urban youth in the eye and explain, in a language they understand, that with the current technological infrastructure, the era of ballot box snatching and manual rewriting of election results is over.”
The commission acknowledged improvements recorded during the February 21 Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Area Council elections and the June 20 off-cycle governorship election in Ekiti State. According to INEC, more than 90 percent of polling units opened on time, voters were successfully accredited using the Bimodal Voter Accreditation System (BVAS), and election results were uploaded promptly to the INEC Result Viewing Portal (IReV).
Despite these successes, the commission expressed concern over low voter turnout and widespread confusion among urban voters regarding polling unit realignments and voter registration transfers.
“This clearly shows that while our technology continues to advance, public understanding of the electoral process is not keeping pace,” the chairman said.
“It is a strong indication that we must intensify voter education at the grassroots. We cannot afford to wait until the eve of the 2027 elections before engaging Nigerians.”
He stressed that technological innovation alone cannot guarantee credible elections without an informed electorate.
“We can acquire the best BVAS devices, improve the IReV to global standards, and perfect our logistics, but these achievements will count for little if citizens remain disengaged, sceptical, or unaware of the importance of their votes,” he added.
Describing the National Orientation Agency as Nigeria’s leading civic education institution, the commission said both agencies share a constitutional responsibility to deepen democratic awareness and should jointly develop a decentralised, grassroots voter education campaign that extends beyond simply informing citizens of election dates.
INEC also called for coordinated efforts to combat vote-buying and misinformation, urging that NOA field officers be equipped with accurate knowledge of the commission’s electoral processes so they can serve as credible sources of information within their communities ahead of the 2027 general elections.
