INEC SAYS 2023 ELECTION GLITCHES FIXED, VOWS CREDIBLE 2027 POLLS
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By; Aina Daniel
The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has assured Nigerians that the technical challenges experienced during the electronic transmission of results in the 2023 general election have been resolved, pledging to deliver a free, fair, credible, inclusive and transparent electoral process in 2027.
The commission also disclosed that it is considering conducting a nationwide mock exercise on electronic transmission of election results well ahead of the 2027 general election to test its systems and improve public confidence.
INEC National Commissioner, Prof. Abdullahi Zuru, who represented the Chairman, Prof. Mahmood Yakubu, made the disclosure on Thursday at a policy roundtable on electronic transmission of election results organised by Yiaga Africa in Abuja.
Speaking on behalf of the INEC Chairman, Zuru said the commission had learned valuable lessons from the shortcomings recorded during the 2023 general election and had since strengthened its deployment of election technology.
He recalled that INEC had consistently advocated legal backing for electronic transmission of election results and successfully deployed the INEC Result Viewing (IReV) Portal in several off-cycle elections before expanding it for nationwide use during the 2023 polls.
While acknowledging the technical difficulties encountered in uploading presidential election results to the IReV portal during the 2023 election, Zuru maintained that the commission has significantly improved its operational capacity.
“We have learnt our lessons and improved our operations. We want to assure Nigerians that the 2027 general election will be free, fair, credible, inclusive and transparent. Every valid vote will count, and voters will determine who governs them,” he said.
According to him, subsequent governorship elections, Area Council elections in the Federal Capital Territory and several bye-elections have demonstrated INEC’s improved ability to deploy election technology effectively.
Responding to concerns over technical glitches and allegations of hacking during the 2023 presidential election, Zuru expressed confidence that the commission has moved beyond those challenges.
He noted that recent elections conducted by INEC have shown remarkable improvements, reinforcing the commission’s readiness for the 2027 polls.
The National Commissioner, however, cautioned against relying solely on technology, stressing that integrity, honesty and sincerity among all election stakeholders remain essential to credible elections.
Using Diego Maradona’s famous “Hand of God” goal at the 1986 FIFA World Cup as an illustration, he argued that even the most advanced technologies cannot eliminate every dispute without human integrity.
Earlier at the event, Yiaga Africa presented a policy brief titled “Securing the Vote: Electronic Transmission and Collation of Election Results,” highlighting legal and operational gaps in the Electoral Act 2026 and INEC’s guidelines governing electronic transmission of election results.
The organisation observed that polling unit results are uploaded to the IReV portal only after backend validation rather than immediately after they are entered at polling units. It also noted that ward and local government collation results are not currently published on the portal, limiting transparency and fuelling public suspicion.
Yiaga Africa further recommended that INEC publish a clear protocol for electronic result transmission, upload ward and local government collation results to IReV, clarify which version of Form EC8A is legally binding where discrepancies arise, revise relevant sections of its regulations, develop a comprehensive results management manual and conduct nationwide mock exercises before the 2027 general election.
Responding to the recommendations, Zuru disclosed that the commission was already considering a mock exercise and would not wait until the eve of the election before testing its systems.
Yiaga Africa maintained that the proposed reforms fall within INEC’s existing constitutional and statutory powers and can be implemented ahead of both the Osun State governorship election and the 2027 general election without requiring amendments to existing laws.
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