The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has identified vote-buying, localised electoral violence, hate speech, disinformation, security risks, and Foreign Information Manipulation and Interference (FIMI) as the chief threats that could undermine Nigeria's 2027 general elections. INEC Chairman Prof. Joash Amupitan, SAN, made this known on Tuesday, August 19, in Abuja while receiving a Pre-Election Assessment Mission (PEAM) delegation from the International Republican Institute (IRI), led by former United States Assistant Secretary of State for African Affairs, Ambassador Jendayi Frazier.
Threats to Voter Confidence
Amupitan warned that these threats, if left unaddressed, could shake voter confidence and seriously disrupt the electoral process. He said, "Security risks, localised electoral violence, vote-buying, and the rapid proliferation of hate speech, disinformation, and Foreign Information Manipulation and Interference, FIMI, pose direct threats to voter confidence."
The IRI visit took place three days after the Osun State off-cycle governorship election and on the same day that official campaign activities for the 2027 general elections were set to begin. The meeting was part of INEC's broader engagement with international partners to assess and improve the electoral framework.
INEC's Preparations for 2027
Amupitan told the delegation that INEC was scaling up capacity to deploy roughly 1.4 million ad-hoc personnel to over 176,000 polling units across the country. He added that the commission was using the Automated Biometric Identification System (ABIS) under the Continuous Voter Registration (CVR) framework to remove duplicate entries and keep the National Register of Voters clean and verified.
He said recent off-cycle governorship and legislative by-elections had served as practical tests for the commission's logistics, security coordination, and technology. On the performance of the Bimodal Voter Accreditation System (BVAS) and the INEC Result Viewing (IReV) portal, he said upload rates had exceeded 98 per cent in recent off-cycle contests.
The commission's preparations also include voter register audits, early deployment arrangements with transport unions to ensure polling units open by 8:30 a.m., and better assistive devices for voters with disabilities, pregnant women, and elderly Nigerians.
Security and Financial Collaboration
On tackling security and financial threats, Amupitan said INEC was working closely with security agencies through the Inter-Agency Consultative Committee on Election Security (ICCES). INEC also works with anti-corruption bodies to enforce campaign finance rules, monitor electoral offences, and prosecute violators.
He also disclosed that the commission would join presidential candidates for the signing of the National Peace Committee's Peace Accord on Issue-Based Campaigns later that day, aimed at encouraging civil conduct among political actors. Amupitan reaffirmed the commission's commitment to neutrality throughout the process.
Meanwhile, INEC held a joint meeting of its Voter Education and Gender and Inclusivity departments after the Ekiti and Osun governorship elections. National Commissioner Mallam Mohammed Kudu Haruna said preparations for the 2027 general election must be accelerated urgently. INEC identified women, youth, persons with disabilities, and civil society groups as key audiences for its voter education drive.
