By Omoyeni Ojeifo
Ahead of the 2027 general elections, the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) says it is strengthening its systems with emphasis on voter registration, electoral technology, security coordination and result management.
Acting Chairman of the Commission, Prof. Rhoda Gumus, who represented INEC Chairman, Prof. Joash Ojo Amupitan, described the preparations as unprecedented, with the voter population approaching 100 million, 176,846 polling units and a workforce exceeding 1.4 million.
She noted that recent off-cycle elections had also provided opportunities for the Commission to test reforms under the new electoral legal framework.
Gumus highlighted the deployment of the Bimodal Voter Accreditation System (BVAS), result viewing through the IReV portal and inter-agency security coordination as part of efforts to strengthen electoral administration.
She also disclosed that INEC was collaborating with the National Identity Management Commission (NIMC) through the Continuous Voter Registration Portal to audit, verify and clean the voter register.
However, the Acting Chairman acknowledged that Nigeria’s geographical size and complexity continued to present technological, logistical and political challenges to the electoral process.
“Electoral integrity is a multi-sectoral endeavour, and international technical support remains vital to bridging operational gaps,” Gumus noted.
Gumus made the remarks on Tuesday when INEC received a delegation from the African Union (AU), led by His Excellency Demeke Mekonnen, Head of Mission and former Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia.
The visit formed part of the AU’s Pre-Election and Needs Assessment Mission to Nigeria, scheduled for September 13 to 19, 2026, ahead of the 2027 general elections.
Welcoming the delegation, Gumus described the mission as timely and significant to Nigeria’s democratic development.
“Nigeria and the African Union share a commitment to democratic standards, institutional integrity and credible electoral governance across the continent,” she noted.
On his part, Mekonnen explained that the mission was designed to assess Nigeria’s electoral preparations, identify potential gaps and recommend measures that could support a successful election.
The AU is particularly interested in voter registration, electoral technology, logistics, funding, inclusion, transparency, electoral disputes, security and result management.
“We want to facilitate support and identify gaps, and for possible remedies and corrections for the successful election process,” Mekonnen explained.
He described the pre-election phase as critical to the success of the electoral process, stressing the importance of credible voter registration, transparent procedures and public confidence.
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