ABUJA — The Independent National Electoral Commission has declared an ambitious plan to commence voting simultaneously across every polling unit in the country during the upcoming 2027 general elections.
The commission's chairman, Prof. Joash Amupitan, made the disclosure on Monday in Abuja while delivering a keynote address at a strategic editors' workshop organised by the Nigerian Guild of Editors in partnership with INEC.
Amupitan stated that the electoral body is drawing critical lessons from previous general elections and recent off-cycle polls to fundamentally overhaul its field operations, human resources, and technological infrastructure.
"I want to see a general election where voting starts in all the polling units in Nigeria at the same instance. That is what we are targeting, where logistics is well-addressed, and where our technology works optimally," Amupitan told the gathering of senior journalists.
To eliminate persistent transport bottlenecks, the commission has already initiated the early procurement and distribution of non-sensitive election materials to state branches, alongside securing a fleet of new operational pickup vehicles for state and local government area offices.
INEC has also concluded physical audits and staff engagements in the South-West and North-West geopolitical zones as part of ongoing nationwide zonal readiness assessments intended to flag operational vulnerabilities before election day.
On the technological front, the commission has procured 57,000 new Bimodal Voter Accreditation System devices, which are currently undergoing software hardening, biometric calibration, and battery optimisation. Polling unit result sheets (Form EC8A) will be digitised, cryptographically authenticated, and transmitted directly to the INEC Result Viewing Portal to safeguard against post-voting manipulation.
Amupitan identified the transparent and prompt management of results as the defining lesson from the contentious 2023 elections, emphasising that rapid collation and instant announcements are essential to shielding the democratic process from misinformation and public distrust.
"Because the only way that can save us in this country from all the problems we’ve had since 2023 is if we manage our results effectively, optimally, and transparently, and then ensure that the results are declared as soon as the work of collation is completed," the INEC chairman remarked.
He added that printable Permanent Voter Cards have been introduced under Section 18(1) of the Electoral Act 2026 to ensure replacing lost or stolen voter identification cards is no longer an obstacle on election day, following successful trials during the Osun State governorship election.
The commission is exactly 101 days away from the presidential and National Assembly elections slated for January 16, 2027, followed by the governorship and State Houses of Assembly ballots on February 6. INEC has met eight of the 14 major statutory milestones set in its revised election timetable.
Amupitan urged newsroom leaders to act as an institutional bridge in an era of information disorder by prioritising facts over sensationalism.
In his response, Nigerian Guild of Editors President Eze Anaba highlighted the media's shared responsibility in safeguarding the franchise, warning against a system where election outcomes are routinely determined by the judiciary rather than the ballot box.
"There’s a need for us to fight for our electoral process to be fair, transparent, and to avoid courts being the last port of call," Anaba said, calling for a strong electoral umpire and a vigilant press to ensure that citizens' votes decide future leadership.
