Civil Society Groups Demand INEC Proof for 2027 Elections

Ahead of the Independent National Electoral Commission’s (INEC) World Press Conference regarding preparations for the 2027 general election, six civil society organizations, including Yiaga Africa, have demanded that INEC provide verifiable evidence of its election technology and operational readiness. Cynthia Mbamalu, Director of Programmes at Yiaga Africa, read the memorandum, which emphasized the need for INEC to demonstrate that the result-upload issues experienced during the 2023 general election have been resolved.

The organizations called for a detailed readiness dashboard covering election funding, procurement milestones, and personnel arrangements. They also requested clear explanations of how the Electoral Act 2026 will apply to voter accreditation and result management, alongside stress tests of the Bimodal Voter Accreditation System (BVAS) and the INEC Result Viewing portal (IReV).

Furthermore, they urged INEC to publish guidelines for the collection of Permanent Voter Cards (PVCs) to prevent delays and disenfranchisement.