INEC And The Crisis Of Trust: 2027 Elections Offer A Chance To Restore Nigerians’ Confidence

Former REC, Mike Igini, says failure to transmit 2023 presidential election results undermined public confidence; as another general election approaches, transparency, accountability and credible result management become critical to restoring faith in the electoral process.

The credibility of an election depends not only on the votes cast by citizens but also on the confidence they have that their choices will be accurately recorded, transparently collated and faithfully declared. For Nigeria’s Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), this fundamental principle has become an urgent challenge as the country prepares for the 2027 general elections, following the controversy that surrounded the transmission of presidential election results in 2023.

Mike Igini, a former Resident Electoral Commissioner (REC), has brought the issue back into national focus, arguing that INEC’s inability to transmit the results of the 2023 presidential election undermined public trust in the electoral umpire and continues to affect confidence in its operations.

Speaking on Channels Television’s Sunday Politics, Igini said that despite his experience serving within the commission, he still lacked a clear explanation for the technical glitch INEC cited during the election.

His remarks have reopened an important national conversation about electoral transparency, the use of technology, institutional accountability and the responsibility of INEC to demonstrate that the votes of Nigerians will count in the 2027 elections.

For the commission, the challenge is no longer simply to organise another election. It must also convince a sceptical public that the shortcomings and controversies of the previous presidential poll have been adequately examined and that the electoral process has become more transparent, dependable and accountable.

The 2023 Experience And The Collapse Of Confidence

The 2023 general elections were conducted against high expectations that technological innovations introduced by INEC would strengthen electoral credibility and reduce opportunities for manipulation.

Among the principal innovations was the Bimodal Voter Accreditation System (BVAS), designed to authenticate voters and support the electronic accreditation process. The commission also introduced the INEC Result Viewing Portal (IReV), through which polling-unit results were expected to be uploaded and made available for public viewing.

These measures raised expectations that technology would make it easier for political parties, election observers, journalists and ordinary citizens to compare results announced at polling units with those subsequently collated by electoral officials.

However, the failure to upload presidential election results to IReV as expected became one of the defining controversies of the 2023 elections.

Igini drew attention to what he considered a particularly troubling contradiction: three elections were conducted on the same day, yet the presidential election was the one whose results could not be transmitted as Nigerians had expected.

“Now, in 2023, what worked and what broke public confidence? The BVAS worked,” he said, explaining that the failure to transmit the presidential results created what he described as a cloud of distrust hanging over the commission.

He added that even people who had defended the integrity of the electoral process were still without a clear explanation of the glitch.

The significance of his observation lies in the question it raises about the relationship between technological innovation and institutional credibility. Technology can strengthen an election only when the public understands how it works, what its limitations are and how failures are handled.

Where the expected process breaks down at a critical moment, the absence of a convincing explanation can create doubts that persist long after the election has ended.

The controversy did not mean that every result was necessarily manipulated or that every official acted improperly. However, it demonstrated how a failure in a central part of the electoral process could weaken public confidence in the wider institution.

For INEC, the lesson is that electoral credibility requires more than technical systems and assurances. It demands visible evidence that established procedures have been followed and that any departure from them can be explained and independently examined.

Why Trust Matters To Democracy

Public confidence is indispensable to representative democracy because elections provide the mechanism through which citizens choose their leaders and confer legitimacy on government.

When voters believe that their ballots will be counted accurately, they have stronger reasons to participate, accept the declared results where procedures have been followed and hold elected officials accountable through subsequent elections.

Conversely, when confidence declines, citizens may begin to question not only the outcome of a particular election but also the impartiality of the institution responsible for conducting it.

Such doubts can deepen political divisions, weaken acceptance of electoral outcomes and encourage the belief that political competition is determined by factors other than the votes of citizens.

Nigeria, with its diverse political interests and intense electoral competition, cannot afford a situation in which large sections of the electorate approach elections with the assumption that their votes may not produce the outcomes they expect.

The responsibility for rebuilding trust, however, does not rest on INEC alone. Political parties must respect electoral laws, candidates must avoid presenting unsubstantiated allegations as established facts, and citizens must be willing to assess evidence rather than rely exclusively on partisan claims.

Nevertheless, INEC occupies a central position in this process because it controls the administration of elections, the deployment of electoral technology, the management of polling officials and the collation and declaration of results within the framework of the law.

The commission must therefore accept that public confidence cannot be restored merely by asking Nigerians to trust it. Confidence must be earned through consistent conduct, transparency and accountability.

2027: More Than Another Election

Igini has described the 2027 elections as a verdict on whether Nigerians can learn lessons from what happened in 2023.

“Every election is a test, but in 2027, it will be more than a test. It will be a verdict on whether we, as a people, can learn from what has happened,” he said.

The observation underscores the importance of the next general election as an opportunity to demonstrate whether the concerns raised after the previous poll have been translated into practical improvements.

For INEC, the challenge begins long before election day. Public confidence is shaped by the way the commission prepares the electoral timetable, communicates its procedures, manages the voters’ register, accredits voters, deploys personnel and responds to questions from political parties and the public.

The commission must ensure that its rules are clear, consistently applied and communicated in good time. Any changes to procedures, particularly those involving technology and result management, should be explained in language that ordinary voters can understand.

INEC must also demonstrate that lessons from previous elections have informed its preparations. Nigerians need clear explanations of the technical and administrative problems experienced in 2023, the findings of any reviews conducted and the measures introduced to prevent a recurrence.

Where mistakes have occurred, acknowledging them and explaining corrective action would help establish a culture of institutional responsibility.

An electoral commission that treats legitimate public questions as an inconvenience risks deepening suspicion. One that provides timely, evidence-based answers can help separate genuine operational difficulties from speculation and partisan misinformation.

Transparency Must Begin Before Polling Day

One of the most important steps INEC can take towards rebuilding confidence is to make transparency an integral part of the electoral process rather than a response to controversy.

The commission should provide clear public information on the capabilities and limitations of the technologies it deploys, including BVAS and IReV, and explain how they fit into the broader process of accreditation, result documentation, transmission and collation.

Electronic transmission and public viewing of results must not be treated as matters that voters are expected to understand without adequate explanation.

Where technology is used, INEC should explain the procedures that apply when connectivity fails, devices malfunction or uploads are delayed. It should also make clear what alternative procedures are legally permitted, who is authorised to activate them and how the resulting records will be preserved and verified.

These safeguards would help prevent technical difficulties from becoming prolonged controversies.

The commission should also ensure that polling-unit results are properly documented, signed and made available in accordance with applicable electoral laws and procedures. Party agents and accredited observers should be able to perform their legitimate oversight functions without unnecessary obstruction.

Transparency is particularly important during collation, when polling-unit figures are aggregated and the results of individual contests emerge. Clear documentation at each stage can make it easier to identify discrepancies, resolve disputes and establish the integrity of the final figures.

The objective is not to suggest that technology can eliminate every electoral problem. Rather, it is to ensure that any problem encountered can be detected, documented and addressed through established procedures.

Accountability For Technical Failures

Igini’s admission that he still lacked a clear explanation for the 2023 transmission glitch raises a question INEC must address through credible institutional communication.

What precisely failed? Was the problem associated with internet connectivity, software, equipment, operational procedures or a combination of factors? What investigations were conducted, and what corrective measures followed?

These questions should be answered through verifiable technical and administrative information rather than broad assurances.

Where investigations have already established the causes, INEC should communicate the findings and explain how the identified weaknesses have been addressed. Where some questions remain unresolved, the commission should state what is known, what is uncertain and what steps are being taken to establish the facts.

Independent technical assessments, appropriate audit mechanisms and transparent reporting could help strengthen confidence in the systems used to manage election results.

Accountability should also extend to the conduct of electoral personnel. Officials must understand that their responsibilities are public duties governed by law, not opportunities to favour particular political interests.

Where credible evidence of misconduct emerges, complaints should be investigated promptly and sanctions applied where warranted. Equally, allegations should be assessed fairly, without presuming guilt or allowing political pressure to determine the outcome.

A credible electoral institution must protect both the integrity of its processes and the rights of those accused of violating them.

Technology Alone Cannot Guarantee Credible Elections

The experience of 2023 also demonstrates that technology, however sophisticated, cannot substitute for sound administration and institutional integrity.

BVAS can assist in voter accreditation, while electronic platforms can improve access to polling-unit results. But these tools must operate within a system supported by trained personnel, reliable procedures, adequate logistics and clear accountability.

INEC must therefore ensure that electoral officers receive comprehensive training and that technological systems are tested under realistic operating conditions before they are deployed nationwide.

Contingency plans should be clearly defined, legally compliant and communicated to relevant stakeholders. The commission should also establish effective procedures for documenting technical failures and preserving the information required to verify the results.

Cybersecurity and the protection of electoral data are equally important. Public confidence requires assurance that electronic records are secure, that unauthorised alterations can be detected and that the systems are sufficiently resilient to withstand operational disruptions.

At the same time, the commission must avoid creating unrealistic expectations that every stage of an election will be entirely automated or immune to error. What matters is that procedures are transparent, failures are properly managed and the final results can be verified through lawful and credible processes.

Voters Must Remain Vigilant

Igini has urged Nigerians to remain alert, particularly on election night when collation takes place. He argued that voters, collectively, possess considerable power to protect their ballots.

“The greatest power of the people, which is unassailable, is that in every polling unit, the people will be more than the polling officials that are going to be compromised,” he said.

His appeal reinforces the importance of citizen participation in safeguarding electoral integrity. Voters should understand the voting process, verify information from credible sources, observe the conduct of elections where permitted and report suspected irregularities through established channels.

Political parties also have a responsibility to deploy properly trained agents who understand the rules governing voting, result documentation and collation. Accredited observers and journalists can contribute by documenting events accurately and distinguishing verified facts from unconfirmed reports.

However, vigilance should not be confused with confrontation. Citizens must observe the law, avoid violence and resist attempts to exploit electoral grievances to provoke disorder.

INEC, for its part, must provide an environment in which lawful observation is possible and complaints can be reported without intimidation.

The burden of electoral integrity cannot be transferred entirely to voters. Citizens can observe, document and challenge irregularities, but they cannot replace the commission's statutory responsibility to conduct credible elections.

The Media And The Responsibility To Inform

The media will also play an important role in rebuilding electoral confidence before, during and after the 2027 elections.

Journalists must scrutinise INEC's preparations, investigate credible allegations, explain electoral procedures and provide voters with accurate information about their rights and responsibilities.

They must also resist the temptation to publish unverified claims simply because such reports attract attention or reflect the positions of influential political actors.

In an environment where misleading information can spread rapidly through social media, responsible reporting is essential to prevent confusion and unnecessary tension.

The media should ask difficult questions of INEC while giving the commission a fair opportunity to respond. It should examine the claims of political parties against available evidence and correct errors promptly.

Such scrutiny does not undermine the electoral umpire. On the contrary, independent and professional reporting can help expose weaknesses that require attention while protecting the public from misinformation.

Restoring Confidence Through Demonstrable Reform

Ultimately, INEC's task is to demonstrate that the 2027 elections will be administered through transparent, consistent and verifiable procedures.

The commission should communicate regularly with political parties, civil society organisations, election observers and the public. It should provide credible updates on preparations, explain the safeguards surrounding result management and establish accessible channels for questions and complaints.

It must also demonstrate that electoral laws and procedures apply equally to all political parties and candidates, irrespective of their influence or position in government.

Public confidence will not return overnight, and no single announcement can erase the concerns generated by the 2023 presidential election. Trust is built gradually through conduct that people can observe and verify.

The 2027 elections therefore present an opportunity for INEC to show that it has learned from the previous poll and that the concerns raised by Nigerians have produced meaningful institutional improvements.

The commission must recognise that credibility is not measured only by whether voting takes place on schedule or whether results are eventually declared. It is also measured by whether voters can understand the process, examine the available evidence and have confidence that the announced outcome reflects the lawful results.

For Nigeria's democracy to command stronger public legitimacy, the electoral umpire must move beyond appeals for patience and demonstrate accountability in practice.

Igini's intervention is a reminder that the controversy surrounding the 2023 presidential election remains an important reference point in discussions about the next general elections. The most constructive response is neither to ignore the past nor to allow distrust to become permanent, but to address legitimate concerns with evidence, reforms and openness.

As 2027 approaches, INEC has an opportunity to show that electoral technology, transparent administration and public accountability can work together to strengthen democracy.

The ultimate test will be whether Nigerians can participate in the elections knowing that their votes will be protected, their results handled according to the law and their legitimate questions answered.

Restoring confidence in INEC is not merely a public-relations exercise. It is a democratic obligation, and the credibility of the 2027 elections will depend significantly on how seriously the commission fulfils it.