The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has declared that the era of ballot box snatching and manual manipulation of election results is over, assuring Nigerians that technology-driven electoral safeguards will protect the integrity of votes in the 2027 general elections.
INEC Chairman, Professor Joash Ojo Amupitan, made the declaration on Wednesday in Abuja while receiving the Director-General of the National Orientation Agency (NOA), Mallam Lanre Issa-Onilu, during a courtesy visit to the Commission’s headquarters.
The meeting focused on strengthening collaboration between both institutions to intensify voter education and civic engagement ahead of the 2027 polls.
Amupitan said recent technological innovations introduced by the Commission had significantly reduced opportunities for electoral fraud, expressing confidence that Nigerians could trust the voting process.
“We need to teach citizens why their votes matter and how our new legal and technological safeguards protect their choices. Because of the current technological infrastructure, the era of ballot box snatching or manually rewriting election results is gone,” he said.
He noted that while the Commission recorded major operational successes during the February 21 Federal Capital Territory Area Council elections and the June 20 Ekiti State governorship election, the exercises also exposed the urgent need for more aggressive voter education.
According to him, over 90 per cent of polling units opened on schedule, while the Bimodal Voter Accreditation System (BVAS) and the INEC Result Viewing Portal (IReV) functioned effectively in voter accreditation and result transmission.
Despite these gains, Amupitan expressed concern over voter apathy and confusion among some voters, particularly regarding polling unit adjustments and voter registration transfers.
He stressed that although INEC had continued to strengthen the electoral process through technology, democracy could only thrive if citizens fully understood and participated in the system.
“We can deploy the best technology available, but it will amount to little if citizens remain disconnected from the electoral process or fail to appreciate the power of their votes,” he said.
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The INEC chairman described collaboration with the NOA as critical to deepening democratic participation, saying both agencies share responsibility for educating Nigerians on electoral processes and civic responsibilities.
He called for sustained grassroots campaigns against vote-buying, voter apathy and misinformation, adding that NOA officials should be equipped with adequate knowledge of INEC’s operations to effectively engage communities nationwide.
Amupitan also pledged the Commission’s full support for the partnership, promising to share resources and institutional expertise to ensure successful voter education ahead of the elections.
Earlier, NOA Director-General Lanre Issa-Onilu said the agency was determined to work closely with INEC to reverse declining voter turnout across the country.
He observed that the number of Nigerians participating in elections remained significantly lower than the number of registered voters, stressing the need for sustained civic education.
Issa-Onilu said the agency had already commenced community-based advocacy programmes and sought deeper collaboration with INEC to improve public understanding of the electoral process and encourage greater participation in the 2027 general elections.