Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has reaffirmed its commitment to conducting transparent, credible and trustworthy elections in 2027, unveiling measures to strengthen electoral technology, protect election results and combat misinformation ahead of the polls.
The Commission also urged online publishers and other media organisations to prioritise accuracy, responsible reporting and voter education as Nigeria approaches the 2027 General Elections.
The INEC Chairman, Prof. Joash Amupitan, SAN, made the call in a keynote address delivered by the Resident Electoral Commissioner (REC) for Lagos State, Prof. Ayobami Salami, at the 10th Annual Conference of the Guild of Corporate Online Publishers (GOCOP), held in Lagos on Thursday, October 8, 2026.
The conference, themed: _“2027 Elections – Trust, Transparency and Shared Responsibilities,”_ brought together media professionals, election stakeholders, academics, civil society organisations and other participants to examine the role of public confidence and shared responsibility in strengthening Nigeria’s democracy.
With 98 days to the January 16, 2027 Presidential and National Assembly Elections, Amupitan said INEC had recorded significant progress in implementing its statutory timetable and strengthening its operational, technological and logistical capacity.
He disclosed that the Commission had embarked on a multidimensional overhaul covering election administration, technology, logistics, staff capacity and field readiness.
According to him, INEC’s operations are coordinated through 23 headquarters departments and directorates, 36 state offices, including the Federal Capital Territory, and 774 Local Government Area offices nationwide.
Providing an update on voter registration, the INEC Chairman disclosed that the three phases of the Continuous Voter Registration (CVR) exercise conducted between August 2025 and July 2026 captured more than 10.6 million new voters.
He said the development had brought Nigeria’s National Register of Voters to a historic 103 million registered citizens following the completion of data processing and synchronisation.
Amupitan announced that nationwide collection of Permanent Voters’ Cards (PVCs) would commence on Friday, October 9, 2026, urging GOCOP members and other online publishers to mobilise registered voters and provide accurate information on designated collection centres.
He stressed that the media had a critical responsibility to ensure eligible voters were adequately informed about the collection exercise and other activities on the electoral timetable.
On the deployment of technology, Amupitan highlighted upgrades to the Bimodal Voter Accreditation System (BVAS) and the enhanced eEC8A system, designed to improve the electronic visibility of polling unit results.
He also disclosed that the Commission was deploying artificial intelligence-supported auditing and strengthening its cyber-defence systems to protect electoral databases and critical infrastructure.
The INEC Chairman, however, cautioned that technology alone could not guarantee credible elections, noting that electoral trust must be earned through consistent, verifiable and transparent implementation of the electoral process.
He said public confidence depended on faithful compliance with electoral laws, effective logistics, internal discipline and transparent communication with citizens.
A major focus of the keynote address was the growing influence of digital media on electoral credibility.
Amupitan warned that fake news, unverified leaks, sensational reporting, politically charged narratives about violence and AI-generated deepfakes could undermine public confidence, heighten political tensions and discourage voter participation.
He urged online publishers to resist clickbait journalism and ensure that speed did not take precedence over accuracy, particularly when reporting election-related developments.
To strengthen collaboration between INEC and GOCOP ahead of the 2027 elections, he proposed a three-point strategic partnership involving digital fact-verification, rigorous editorial self-regulation and a national voter education partnership.
The proposed collaboration is expected to promote accurate electoral reporting and amplify public information on PVC collection and other critical election activities.
In his opening remarks, the Conference Chairman, Dr. Olisa Agbakoba, SAN, emphasised the constitutional right of Nigerians to vote and charged INEC to deliver free, fair and credible elections in 2027.
Agbakoba also raised questions about issues likely to dominate political debate ahead of the elections, particularly fuel subsidy policy and the constitutional authority to declare election results.
He challenged presidential candidates to explain what they would tell Nigerians about fuel subsidy and what they intended to do differently if elected.
The senior lawyer also questioned the growing circulation of election projections, opinion polls and unofficial results across traditional and digital media platforms, asking whether opinion polls could be subjected to verification and fact-checking.
Responding to the question of who has the authority to declare election results, Salami explained that the Constitution vests the responsibility for returning election results in the designated Returning Officers.
He clarified that occupying a position within INEC does not automatically confer the constitutional authority to return election results.
According to him, even as a Resident Electoral Commissioner, he does not possess the constitutional power to announce or return an election result.
Salami explained that Returning Officers are appointed by the Commission and are constitutionally empowered to return the results of the elections assigned to them.
The clarification underscored the distinction between INEC officials’ administrative and supervisory responsibilities and the specific constitutional role of Returning Officers in the declaration of election results.
In his welcome address, the President of GOCOP, Danlami Nmodu, MNI, highlighted the importance of the conference, coming just 98 days before the scheduled 2027 General Elections.
Nmodu called for free, fair and credible elections, urging politicians and political leaders to place the interests of Nigerians above personal considerations.
He also called for stronger government intervention to address insecurity across the country and appealed for greater government support for the Guild and its activities.
The Commissioner for Information in Imo State, Mr. Declan Emelumba, who represented Governor Hope Uzodimma, congratulated GOCOP on its 10th annual conference and highlighted achievements recorded by the state government.
He also urged stakeholders to support efforts to ensure free, fair and credible elections in 2027.
The conference also paid tribute to the late Dotun Oladipo, former GOCOP President and publisher of The Eagle Online.
In his keynote address, Amupitan expressed condolences to the Guild, Oladipo’s family and the wider media community, describing the late publisher as a pioneer of Nigerian digital journalism and a committed advocate of ethical online publishing.
The gathering provided a platform for publishers, editors, academics, civil society groups and electoral stakeholders to discuss practical ways of strengthening trust, transparency and accountability in Nigeria’s democratic process.
As the nationwide PVC collection exercise begins, INEC reiterated its call for the media to work closely with the Commission in providing Nigerians with timely, accurate and verified information.
