UN Assures INEC of Support Ahead of Nigeria’s 2027 General Elections

UN Assures INEC of Support Ahead of Nigeria’s 2027 General Elections

The United Nations has assured the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) of its support as the Commission prepares for Nigeria’s 2027 general elections, stressing the importance of peaceful, credible and inclusive polls.

The assurance was given by the Special Representative of the UN Secretary-General for West Africa and the Sahel and Head of the United Nations Office for West Africa and the Sahel (UNOWAS), Mr Leonardo Santos Simão, during a courtesy visit to INEC Chairman, Professor Joash Amupitan, SAN, at the Commission’s headquarters.

Simão said the visit was aimed at demonstrating the United Nations’ support for INEC as it prepares to manage the electoral process in a country facing terrorism and other security challenges.

He stressed that elections should not become a source of violence or instability but should promote peace, democratic stability and national development.

The UN representative said the organisation recognised the enormous responsibility before INEC and wanted the Commission to know that it was not alone in the task of organising peaceful elections.

“We are here, pleased to give you moral support, that you are not alone in facing this mammoth task,” he said.

He added that the United Nations would maintain a presence during the elections, not as observers, since it had no mandate to undertake election observation, but to encourage positive conduct and support an atmosphere that would allow peaceful participation.

Simão noted that peaceful and successful elections in Nigeria would have significance beyond the country, serving as an example to other West African nations and contributing to regional stability and integration.

In his response, INEC Chairman, Professor Joash Amupitan, welcomed the delegation and appreciated the United Nations for its interest in Nigeria’s electoral preparations and willingness to support the Commission.

Amupitan reaffirmed INEC’s commitment to conducting credible elections through improved logistics, transparent result management and timely declaration of results. He said the Commission’s priority was to restore public confidence in the electoral process, strengthen operational efficiency and protect the integrity of every vote.

The INEC Chairman disclosed that the Commission had registered approximately 103 million voters, with young Nigerians between the ages of 18 and 34 accounting for nearly 29 per cent of the electorate.

He explained that INEC was conducting a comprehensive cleaning of the voter register through the claims and objections process, with the final register scheduled for publication on December 15, 2026.

According to him, technology-enabled verification had also helped the Commission identify approximately 1.5 million registrations with irregularities for removal from the register as part of efforts to improve its credibility.

He added that the distribution of Permanent Voter Cards (PVCs) was ongoing across the country.

On technology, Amupitan said INEC would continue to strengthen the deployment of the Bimodal Voter Accreditation System (BVAS) for voter accreditation and the INEC Result Viewing Portal (IReV) to provide public access to polling-unit results.

He also identified misinformation, disinformation and foreign information manipulation as major threats to electoral integrity. He warned that the growing misuse of artificial intelligence and coordinated online campaigns could undermine public confidence in the electoral system.

The INEC Chairman called for stronger collaboration with the United Nations to promote information integrity, counter electoral disinformation and strengthen public awareness.

He further identified areas of possible cooperation, including conflict prevention, election security, early-warning mechanisms, stakeholder dialogue, peacebuilding and the protection of vulnerable groups, particularly women, young people and persons with disabilities.

Amupitan also disclosed that INEC was planning a mock accreditation and election exercise to test its electoral technologies ahead of the 2027 polls, identify possible challenges and strengthen public confidence in the process.

He said the Commission was also working with relevant security agencies to identify areas vulnerable to electoral violence and other security threats and develop appropriate preventive measures.

UN Assures INEC of Support Ahead of Nigeria’s 2027 General Elections