2027: INEC Projects Over 100m Voters, Plans Stronger Communication Strategy
With Nigeria’s voter register expected to exceed 100 million, the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) says it is stepping up its communication strategy ahead of the 2027 general elections.
INEC National Commissioner and Chairman of its Information and Voter Education Committee, Mallam Mohammed Haruna, disclosed this on Tuesday in Abuja at a joint implementation meeting of the Departments of Voter Education and Publicity (VEP) and Gender and Inclusivity (G&I).
Haruna said the voter register, which stood at more than 93 million, was expected to cross the 100-million mark after the completion of the recently concluded nationwide Continuous Voter Registration (CVR).
With 151 days to the first phase of the elections, he urged INEC information officers to provide timely and effective publicity to mobilise eligible Nigerians to participate.
“Our job is to give the widest and most effective publicity to all five sets of elections to mobilise all Nigerians of voting age to choose their leaders,” Haruna said.
He stressed the need for officers to communicate in simple language and understand the Constitution, Electoral Act, INEC guidelines, Freedom of Information Act and Data Protection Act.
Chief Press Secretary to the INEC Chairman, Adedayo Oketola, said the commission, under Prof. Joash Amupitan, remained committed to credible and inclusive elections.
Oketola warned that misinformation and disinformation could undermine voter confidence and fuel apathy, saying INEC’s response must include proactive and continuous public engagement.
He said communication should demystify electoral technologies such as the Bimodal Voter Accreditation System (BVAS) and INEC Results Viewing (IReV), while strengthening public understanding of the voting process.
On inclusivity, Oketola said women, youths, elderly voters and Persons with Disabilities (PWDs) must have equal access to the electoral process.
Director of VEP, Victoria Eta-Messi, said the meeting would help ensure uniform implementation of voter education and publicity activities across the states and the FCT.
The meeting was attended by heads of VEP and G&I departments from the 36 states and the FCT.
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