The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has introduced new technical safeguards to prevent the upload of inaccurate election results to its Result Viewing Portal (IReV) ahead of the 2027 general elections.
The Commission’s Chairman, Professor Joash Amupitan, disclosed this during a high-level dialogue at Chatham House in London, organised in partnership with the Kimpact Development Initiative (KDI).
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The dialogue was held under the theme, “Nigeria’s 2027 Elections: Democratic Trajectory and Regional Stability Beyond the Ballot.”
Amupitan said the new safeguards were developed following an internal assessment of the shortcomings recorded during the 2023 general elections, particularly in the management and collation of election results.
He explained that the Commission had identified collation centres as a major source of discrepancies between polling unit results and figures eventually declared.
According to him, the upgraded system will prevent inaccurate results and figures indicating over-voting from being uploaded to IReV.
The INEC Chairman said the measure was designed to ensure that results appearing on the portal accurately reflect verified figures from polling units, thereby strengthening transparency and public confidence in the electoral process.
Highlighting the Commission’s preparations, Amupitan identified insecurity, logistics and election result management as its three major priorities ahead of the 2027 polls.
He cited improvements recorded during recent off-cycle elections, including the Anambra and Osun governorship elections, Federal Capital Territory Area Council polls, Ekiti governorship election and 16 legislative by-elections, as evidence of the Commission’s efforts to strengthen its operations.
He noted that administrative improvements had helped INEC conclude the collation and declaration of results in Anambra and Osun more promptly than in previous election cycles.
On the Bimodal Voter Accreditation System (BVAS), the INEC Chairman disclosed that the Commission was upgrading its existing technology rather than introducing an entirely new electoral system, given the limited time before the 2027 elections.
He said INEC was constructing climate-controlled storage facilities across the states to address device malfunctions associated with extreme temperatures and storage conditions experienced during the 2023 elections.
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The Commission has also procured additional BVAS devices and reduced the maximum number of registered voters assigned to each device from 1,250 to 850 to improve operational efficiency on election day.
To assess the effectiveness of the upgrades, Amupitan announced that INEC would conduct a nationwide mock accreditation and voting exercise on November 28, 2026, across all states of the federation.
He said the exercise would simulate aspects of the presidential election and test the effectiveness of voter accreditation and electronic transmission of results.
On election funding, the INEC Chairman disclosed that the Commission had received a substantial portion of its 2027 election budget but was awaiting the release of the outstanding balance.
He expressed confidence that the funds, including provisions for recruiting and providing welfare for ad hoc election personnel, would be released before the end of November, following assurances from the relevant authorities.
Addressing concerns about his political neutrality, particularly allegations linking his telephone number to a controversial account on X, formerly Twitter, Amupitan denied operating the account.
He said an independent forensic examination had been conducted and the matter referred to the Department of State Services and the Inspector-General of Police for investigation.
The INEC Chairman also dismissed concerns that his previous involvement in political cases as a legal practitioner would affect his impartiality, maintaining that his responsibilities were now guided by the Constitution and the Electoral Act.
“My loyalty is solely to the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria and the Electoral Act,” he said.
On allegations of irregularities in the voter register, including claims of an unusual increase in registered voters in a ward in Ebonyi State, Amupitan said the Commission had investigated and addressed the complaint in accordance with established legal procedures.
He urged Nigerians, particularly young people, to participate actively in the democratic process and guard against misinformation and digital disinformation.
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The INEC Chairman emphasised that citizens must verify information before sharing it, noting that misinformation remains a major threat to democratic participation and public confidence.
The 2027 Presidential and National Assembly elections are scheduled for January 16, 2027, while Governorship and State Houses of Assembly elections are slated for February 6, 2027.