2027: Ballot Box Snatching, Result Manipulation No Longer Possible, Says INEC Chairman

Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Prof. Joash Ojo Amupitan (SAN), has assured Nigerians that technological advancements introduced by the commission have effectively ended the era of ballot box snatching and manual manipulation of election results ahead of the 2027 general elections.

Speaking on Wednesday in Abuja while receiving the Director-General of the National Orientation Agency (NOA), Mallam Lanre Issa-Onilu, at INEC headquarters, Amupitan stressed that every legitimate vote cast in the 2027 polls would be adequately protected by the commission’s electoral technologies.

The meeting focused on strengthening collaboration between both agencies to intensify voter education and civic awareness before the general elections.

The INEC chairman noted that the presidential election is scheduled for January 16, 2027, while governorship elections will take place on February 6, 2027, emphasizing the need to begin voter sensitisation well ahead of the polls.

According to him, although technological innovations have significantly improved Nigeria’s electoral process, voter apathy and the spread of misinformation remain major concerns.

“We must educate Nigerians on the value of their votes and reassure them that our legal and technological safeguards have made ballot box snatching and manual alteration of election results obsolete,” he said.

Amupitan highlighted the successful deployment of the Bimodal Voter Accreditation System (BVAS) and prompt uploads to the INEC Result Viewing Portal (IReV) during the February 21 Federal Capital Territory Area Council elections and the June 20 Ekiti State governorship election. He said these elections demonstrated the commission’s operational efficiency, including the early opening of most polling units.

However, he admitted that the elections also exposed challenges such as low voter turnout and confusion among some voters over polling unit changes and registration transfers.

He stressed that while INEC has made significant technological progress, public understanding of the electoral process has not kept pace.

“The advancement of technology alone cannot strengthen democracy if citizens are uninformed or disengaged from the electoral process,” he stated.

Amupitan called for a broad-based partnership with the NOA to implement grassroots voter education campaigns that would educate Nigerians not only on when to vote but also on the importance of participating in the democratic process.

He also advocated joint campaigns against vote-buying, fake news, and electoral misinformation, while urging that NOA officials be equipped with accurate knowledge of INEC’s operations to effectively educate communities nationwide.

Reaffirming the commission’s commitment to the partnership, the INEC chairman pledged institutional support, including the sharing of resources and relevant information to ensure successful voter education ahead of the 2027 elections.

Earlier, NOA Director-General Lanre Issa-Onilu expressed concern over Nigeria’s low voter turnout despite the large number of registered voters.

He said the agency was expanding its community engagement efforts and sought deeper collaboration with INEC to encourage greater electoral participation and improve citizens’ understanding of the country’s democratic and judicial processes.