The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has assured Nigerians that it has introduced improvements to its electoral processes to prevent a recurrence of the challenges that undermined public confidence in the 2023 presidential election.
The commission gave the assurance on Thursday during the second stakeholders’ roundtable on voter education and youth participation, organised by Kimpact Development Initiative under its YERP-Naija project in Abuja.
INEC’s Deputy Director of Voter Education, Mrs Paula Iwenjiora, who represented the Director of Voter Education, Mrs Etta-Messi, acknowledged that the commission’s handling of the 2023 presidential election contributed significantly to the loss of public confidence in the electoral process.
She attributed some of the difficulties experienced during the presidential election to heavy traffic on the commission’s website, which affected the electronic handling and presentation of election results.
According to her, INEC subsequently worked to address the challenges, particularly during the governorship elections, while expressing confidence in the ongoing efforts of the commission’s leadership to strengthen electoral credibility ahead of 2027.
Iwenjiora admitted that Nigerians had legitimate reasons to question the commission following the controversy surrounding the 2023 elections but urged citizens not to lose confidence in the electoral process.
She also encouraged eligible voters to participate actively in the democratic process, stressing that staying away from elections would leave decisions about the country’s future in the hands of others.
Speaking at the event, Executive Director of Kimpact Development Initiative, Bukola Idowu, identified declining institutional trust, misinformation, economic pressures, electoral insecurity and inadequate voter education as major obstacles to credible elections.
He urged young Nigerians to remain politically engaged, register to vote, collect their Permanent Voter Cards and demand accountability from political leaders.
Also speaking, the Resident Country Director of the National Democratic Institute in Nigeria, Francis Madugu, expressed concern over the country’s low voter turnout, noting that approximately 27 per cent of registered voters participated in the 2023 presidential election.
Madugu disclosed that the YERP-Naija initiative had recruited and trained youth volunteers across all 109 senatorial districts to promote voter education and encourage participation across the country’s 774 local government areas and the Federal Capital Territory.
The renewed assurance comes amid growing scrutiny of INEC’s preparedness for the 2027 general elections, particularly following the controversy surrounding the electronic transmission of results during the 2023 presidential poll.
With public confidence remaining a major concern, the commission faces the task of demonstrating through transparent processes, credible technology and effective election management that the shortcomings of the previous general election will not be repeated.
