By Emmanuel Oloniruha

 

Abuja

The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) says it is conducting a comprehensive review of its electoral technology and cyber security infrastructure ahead of the 2027 general elections to prevent a recurrence of the glitches experienced in 2023.

 

INEC Chairman, Prof. Joash Amupitan, disclosed this when he received the British High Commissioner to Nigeria, Dr Richard Montgomery, at the commission’s headquarters on Thursday in Abuja.

 

Amupitan said INEC was fully committed to conducting elections that meet the highest standards of credibility, transparency, and international best practices, in the forthcoming Osun governorship election and 2027 general elections.

 

He explained that the commission’s preparations were being guided by extensive post-election reviews conducted after the 2023 polls.

 

“Our approach has been guided by very extensive post-election reviews. Those reviews have informed virtually every aspect of our current preparations.

 

“These reviews engaged critical stakeholders, including political parties, civil society organisations, security agencies, development partners, and local and international election observers,” Amupitan said

 

On the technology to be deployed for 2027, the INEC boss explained that due to time constraints, the commission was focusing on upgrading its existing technological infrastructure rather than overhauling it completely.

 

“As we move towards the 2027 general election, there are many important areas where we continue our collaboration with you, specifically in election technology and cyber security.

 

“You raised concerns about the occurrences during the 2023 general election and the technological glitch. We are doing everything possible to address this.

 

“Just this afternoon, the commission was looking at the possibility of auditing all our systems ahead of the election and also conducting a mock presidential election to test our readiness,” Amupitan added.

 

He noted that while a mock election was not originally captured in the commission’s budget, INEC would welcome technical assistance from international partners to make it a reality.

 

According to him, the commission will continue to upgrade the Bimodal Voter Accreditation System (BVAS), the INEC Result Viewing (IReV) portal, and other digital platforms used for ad-hoc staff training, voter accreditation, and result management.

 

Amupitan also said that the commission had received positive feedback on its self-service Continuous Voter Registration (CVR) portal, which allows eligible voters to initiate and complete their registration online.

 

On election security, the INEC Chairman said the Inter-Agency Consultative Committee on Election Security (ICCES) was fully active at the national, state, and local government levels to guarantee the safety of voters, electoral personnel, and infrastructure.

 

Regarding logistics, Amupitan said early procurement and planning have already commenced.

 

While acknowledging the operational and administrative challenges posed by the Electoral Act 2026 which compressed electoral timelines and funding schedules, he assured that the commission was successfully navigating the requirements.

 

To ensure maximum inclusivity, Amupitan noted that the commission recently extended the CVR exercise by two weeks to expand participation among women, youth, and Persons with Disabilities (PWDs).

 

He, however, expressed concern over the rise of misinformation, fake news, and AI-driven disinformation, describing them as major threats to public trust.

 

He called for continued collaboration with international partners, including the UK government and the International Foundation for Electoral Systems (IFES), to tackle crisis communication and cyber security challenges.

 

Amupitan described the relationship between Nigeria and the UK as a strategic partnership focused on strengthening democratic institutions.

 

“Our shared commitment is to build a sustained, independent, and resilient institution capable of safeguarding the sovereign will of the Nigerian people,” he said.

 

In his remarks, the British High Commissioner, Montgomery, commended INEC for its ongoing institutional reforms and proactive preparations for the Osun governorship and 2027 general elections.

 

Montgomery said Nigeria’s democracy remains vital to the African continent and the global community.

 

He assured the commission of the UK government’s sustained technical support, collaboration on early warning mechanisms, capacity building, and voter education.

 

“We have a very strong interest and investment in the Federal Republic of Nigeria.

 

“I hope you will take our interest in your democratic process as a sign of moral and practical support as we run up to 2027,” Montgomery said. (NAN)(www.primerisenews.com)