Six civil society organisations have urged the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to subject its election technology to public and independently verifiable testing ahead of the 2027 general election. The organisations, including the Centre for Media and Society, International Press Centre, and Yiaga Africa, expressed concerns over the readiness of INEC's technology, citing issues with the Bimodal Voter Accreditation System (BVAS) and the INEC Result Viewing portal (IReV) during the 2023 general election.
The groups demanded that INEC provide measurable evidence of its operational readiness, rather than relying on general assurances. They called for stress tests of the BVAS and IReV systems, with published results to allow Nigerians and election observers to assess their reliability. The organisations also requested verifiable evidence that the result-upload problems experienced in 2023 had been resolved.
The civil society organisations further requested that INEC explain how the Electoral Act 2026 and its regulations would govern voter accreditation, polling-unit result management, and collation and publication. They also asked for clear fallback procedures for technology failures and audit trails showing how corrections or delayed uploads of election results would be handled.
Beyond technology, the organisations urged INEC to publish a readiness dashboard covering election funding, procurement milestones, and delivery and storage of sensitive materials. They also called for disclosure of the number and requirements for election personnel, training schedules, and deployment plans for ad hoc staff.
The groups also raised concerns about voter access, requesting clear guidelines for the collection of Permanent Voter Cards and arrangements for downloadable voter cards. They urged INEC to clarify how these cards would be used during the general election.
The memorandum also extended recommendations to political parties, security agencies, the media, judiciary, and civil society. Political parties were urged to reject hate speech and incitement, while security agencies were called upon to publish a coordinated framework for election security. The media was urged to provide equitable coverage and verify viral claims before amplification.
The organisations emphasised that the credibility of the 2027 elections would depend significantly on decisions and preparations made before election day. They urged all institutions involved in the electoral process to clearly state their plans and progress, and to be transparent, fair, and accountable.
Key points
- Civil society organisations call for public testing of INEC's election technology ahead of 2027 polls
- INEC urged to provide measurable evidence of operational readiness
- Organisations request clear guidelines for voter access and election security
