The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), in collaboration with the Development Alternatives Incorporated (DAI) and the Nigerian Guild of Editors (NGE), on Monday held a strategic workshop for media executives in Abuja, where INEC Chairman, Prof. Joash Amupitan, SAN, disclosed that Nigeria’s National Register of Voters has risen to more than 103 million ahead of the 2027 general elections.
The workshop, held at BON Hotel Octagon, Jahi District, Abuja, with the theme, “Strengthening Democracy Through Partnership Among Editors, Civil Society and Electoral Institutions,” focused on strengthening collaboration between the electoral management body, the media and civil society ahead of the 2027 elections.
INEC Chairman said the Commission’s three-phase Continuous Voter Registration (CVR) exercise had attracted more than 10.6 million new applicants, while the public display of the Preliminary Register for claims and objections had been completed.
He added that the Commission had also completed the final Automated Biometric Identification System (ABIS) cleanup of the register.
The INEC Chairman used the forum to announce that the nationwide collection of Permanent Voter Cards (PVCs) will commence on Friday, October 9, 2026, urging eligible citizens to participate in the process.
According to him, the disclosure was particularly important as the country approaches the 2027 general elections, with INEC working to ensure that the electoral process is transparent, technology-driven and credible.
He said the Commission was committed to continuously improving the Bimodal Voter Accreditation System (BVAS) and the INEC Result Viewing Portal (IReV) to ensure that every valid vote counts and is seen to count.
The Chairman also identified public trust as the ultimate determinant of electoral credibility, stressing that operational efficiency by INEC alone could not guarantee democratic stability.
“The ultimate arbiter of electoral integrity is public trust,” Amupitan said.
He called for a stronger partnership between INEC, editors, civil society organisations and other stakeholders, saying the Commission was prepared to listen to editorial concerns, address operational challenges and provide timely information to prevent misinformation from filling communication gaps.
Amupitan urged newsrooms to establish digital fact-verification desks and pledged that INEC would provide editors with direct access to verify field incidents, logistical developments and security reports in real time.
He further proposed a sustained editorial feedback mechanism between INEC and the Nigerian Guild of Editors to review operational progress and resolve emerging challenges throughout the 2027 election cycle.
Earlier, President of the Nigerian Guild of Editors, Mr Eze Anaba, said the workshop was timely given the country’s proximity to another general election.
Anaba said elections were not merely about casting ballots but about citizens having confidence that their votes would count and that the institutions conducting elections would act fairly and professionally.
He urged editors to uphold accuracy, fairness, balance and public interest in electoral reporting, while calling for stronger access to credible and timely information from INEC
