The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has tasked members of the Guild of Corporate Online Publishers (GOCOP) and the media in general to support efforts to deepen democracy and ensure a credible electoral process ahead of the 2027 general elections.
The commission also declared that the outcome of the 2027 elections would be determined by the votes of Nigerians, assuring that it has no preferred candidate or political party.
INEC Chairman, Professor Joash Amupitan, gave the assurance on Thursday while delivering the keynote address at the 10th annual conference of GOCOP, held at Radisson Blu Hotel, Ikeja, Lagos.
Amupitan, who was represented by the Lagos State Resident Electoral Commissioner (REC), Professor Ayobami Salami, spoke on the theme, “2027 Elections: Trust, Transparency and Shared Responsibilities”.
He said the success of the 2027 general elections would depend not only on the deployment of personnel and electoral equipment but also on the transparency of the process, credibility of the outcomes and commitment of all stakeholders to protecting the sanctity of the ballot box.
“Let me tell you, on behalf of the commission, that in the 2027 election, by the grace of God, what will determine the winner would be the votes of Nigerians, and the will of Nigerians will prevail,” he said.
The INEC chairman reaffirmed the commission’s commitment to conducting elections in accordance with the Constitution and the law, stressing that its responsibility was to protect the will of the electorate.
“Under my leadership, the Independent National Electoral Commission stands firm on an unshakeable promise: our sole allegiance is to the Constitution and the law, and our absolute obligation is to the Nigerian people.
“INEC has no preferred candidate, no favoured political party and no institutional interest, other than protecting the sacred and uncoerced will of Nigerian voters,” he stated.
Amupitan urged GOCOP members to use their platforms to educate voters, promote responsible political participation and support the commission’s efforts to deliver credible elections.
He noted that online publishers and other media organisations would play a critical role in shaping public understanding of the electoral process, warning that election periods were increasingly vulnerable to coordinated information warfare, political violence narratives and AI-generated deepfakes capable of inflaming tensions and undermining public confidence in institutions.
He therefore charged journalists and publishers to confront information disorder, reject clickbait-driven reporting and remain committed to the truth.
According to him, fake news, unverified leaks and sensationalised reports could erode public trust, incite civil unrest and discourage citizens from participating in elections.
“When an unverified claim regarding electoral fraud is published, the damage to public confidence is immediate and enduring; subsequent retractions or fact-checks rarely repair the injury,” he said.
On the pressure to break news ahead of competitors, Amupitan cautioned media organisations against sacrificing accuracy for speed.
“Being first with a false story is a costly failure; being accurate with a verified fact is a public service,” he stated.
He added that GOCOP members, as corporate publishers with structured editorial boards, had a responsibility to distinguish credible information from unverified claims circulating online.
“When operational delays occur in the field, responsible reporting provides context and seeks official verification rather than weaponising logistical hiccups to declare systemic collapse,” he said.
The INEC chairman also called on editors and media leaders to support voter mobilisation as the nationwide collection of Permanent Voter Cards (PVCs) commenced on Friday, October 9, 2026.
“Let us write a definitive chapter of operational excellence, journalistic integrity, civic maturity, and unassailable institutional trust together,” he urged.
INEC’s preparedness
Amupitan used the occasion to outline measures taken by the commission to strengthen its operational capacity ahead of the 2027 general elections.
He said INEC had undertaken structural, technological and logistical reforms over the past 14 months to establish a solid foundation for the polls.
According to him, the commission issued the revised timetable and schedule of activities for the 2027 general elections on February 26, 2026, while preparations for grassroots deployment were being implemented across more than 176,000 polling units nationwide.
He added that, in compliance with Section 10 of the Electoral Act 2026, INEC conducted a three-phase Continuous Voter Registration (CVR) exercise.
Following the completion of field registration, the commission also concluded the public display of the preliminary register of voters across all registration areas to allow claims and objections.
He said INEC’s Information and Communication Technology Department was finalising the official PDF Register of Voters for nationwide display, alongside the synchronisation of CVR data through its Automated Biometric Identification System (ABIS) to eliminate duplicate registrations.
Amupitan disclosed that Nigeria’s National Register of Voters had reached 103 million registered citizens.
He said the commission had completed the processing and printing of new voter cards using its newly introduced Printable PVC technology, paving the way for nationwide collection.
He appealed to GOCOP members and other online publishers to use their platforms to educate and mobilise registered voters across the 36 states and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) to collect their cards at designated local government offices and registration area centres.
Technology, logistics and voter education
On electoral technology, Amupitan said INEC had introduced significant structural and firmware upgrades to strengthen the integrity of the voting and result-transmission processes.
He disclosed that the Bimodal Voter Accreditation System (BVAS) devices had undergone hardware optimisation, battery calibration and software upgrades to improve facial and fingerprint accreditation and prevent voter impersonation.
The commission, he added, had commenced a nationwide BVAS audit to ensure the devices were functional and ready for deployment, while additional units had been procured based on operational requirements.
He also highlighted improvements to the electronic EC8A result-transmission system, which allows polling unit result sheets to be digitised immediately after counting and transmitted to the public viewing portal.
According to him, the enhanced system builds on deployments during recent off-cycle elections in the FCT, Ekiti and Osun states and is designed to improve transparency while reducing opportunities for manual alteration of results during collation.
The INEC chairman further disclosed that the commission had partnered with technology companies, including Google and Microsoft, to deploy artificial intelligence-based data-auditing tools and multiple layers of cybersecurity protection against intrusions, distributed denial-of-service attacks and unauthorised data injection.
On logistics, he said the commission had commenced the procurement and physical delivery of non-sensitive electoral materials to its offices across the 36 states and the FCT.
He added that a central operational schedule had been established to monitor the movement of materials, storage security and vehicle locations in real time across state command centres.
Amupitan said the commission had also operationalised the Consolidated Election Management Body Salary Structure (CEMBSS) to address financial vulnerabilities and reward the dedication of electoral personnel.
He noted that INEC had intensified public enlightenment campaigns across traditional, digital and grassroots communication channels to improve voter awareness and participation.
According to him, the voter education strategy would focus on voting procedures, accreditation requirements, BVAS operations, PVC collection and Election Day regulations, while incorporating tailored outreach programmes to promote inclusion.
He urged the media to complement these measures by providing accurate information, encouraging citizens to collect their PVCs and promoting public confidence in the electoral process.
Amupitan maintained that credible elections required the collective commitment of INEC, political parties, security agencies, the media and the electorate, stressing that public trust would be strengthened through transparency, accountability and respect for the will of Nigerian voters.
