Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Prof. Joash Amupitan, SAN, has called for deeper national consensus, stronger institutional collaboration, and expanded civic engagement to protect Nigeria’s democratic system.
He made the call on Thursday at the Nigeria Civil Society Situation Room’s 9th Annual National Stakeholders’ Forum on Elections, held at the Sheraton Hotel, Abuja. The event had the theme, “Securing Nigeria’s Democracy: Building Consensus for Credible Elections and Accountable Governance.”
Prof. Amupitan described the forum as a “vital national space for meaningful dialogue,” adding that Nigeria’s democracy faces persistent threats from misinformation, electoral malpractice, and violence. He said securing the democratic process requires a multisectoral approach involving government institutions, civil society, political actors, the media, and citizens.
The INEC Chairman emphasised that credible elections remain the foundation of democratic governance, insisting that all stakeholders must collectively commit to respecting electoral rules and principles.
“Accountable governance flows naturally from credible elections because legitimacy empowers citizens to hold leaders to higher standards,” he said.
Prof. Amupitan highlighted INEC’s reliance on technology under the Electoral Act 2022 to strengthen transparency. He described the Bimodal Voter Accreditation System (BVAS) as a “fundamental redefinition” of voter accreditation, while the IReV results portal has become a new benchmark for public trust.
Despite these gains, he noted that weak telecommunications infrastructure continues to hinder real-time result uploads from Nigeria’s 176,000 polling units. He disclosed that the Commission is working with the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) and exploring alternative technologies to address the challenge.
On voter turnout, the Chairman expressed concern that participation has continued to decline, citing the 27% turnout recorded in the 2023 general elections as a “warning sign.” He referenced the improvement recorded in Anambra State—where Permanent Voter Card (PVC) collection rose from 63.9% to 98.80% after targeted mobilisation—as evidence that collaboration with civil society, media, and traditional leaders can boost participation.
Providing updates on the ongoing Continuous Voter Registration (CVR), he announced that 2,685,725 registrations have been completed nationwide. This includes 1,576,137 online pre-registrations and 1,109,588 physical captures.
Osun leads the country with 208,357 new registrations, followed by Kano (159,669), Sokoto (152,650), Imo (145,561), while Lagos and Borno each recorded more than 123,000. With the first quarter of the CVR exercise ending on December 10, he urged stakeholders to continue sensitisation ahead of the final phase.
Prof. Amupitan also disclosed that preparations are underway for the 2026 Federal Capital Territory Area Council Elections, scheduled for Saturday, February 21, 2026, which will mark the end of the current four-year tenure of six chairmen and 62 councillors elected in 2022.
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He reaffirmed INEC’s partnership with security agencies through the Inter-Agency Consultative Committee on Election Security (ICCES) to combat vote-buying and voter intimidation. Civil society organisations, he said, remain critical for monitoring compliance, enhancing voter education, and strengthening accountability.
The INEC Chairman said credible elections are not an event but “an ongoing national commitment to innovation, transparency, and institutional resilience,” noting that the Commission is improving system interfaces and reinforcing digital and security infrastructure.
He closed his remarks with a quote from leadership expert Simon Sinek: “Leadership is not about the next election; it’s about the next generation.”
