The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has made it clear that it sees foreign-driven disinformation as one of the most serious threats hanging over Nigeria’s 2027 General Election, and it is not trying to fight that threat alone. On Wednesday, 4 November 2026, at the Commission’s headquarters in Abuja, INEC Chairman Professor Joash Amupitan received two separate courtesy visits—one from the Special Representative of the UN Secretary-General for West Africa and the Sahel and Head of the UN Office for West Africa and the Sahel (UNOWAS), Mr Leonardo Santos Simao, and another from the British High Commissioner to Nigeria, Mr Pete Vowles. In both meetings, the message was direct: Nigeria needs practical partnerships to counter Foreign Information Manipulation and Interference, often shortened to FIMI. Amupitan told the UN delegation that INEC wants a partnership built around a rapid response mechanism and public awareness initiatives, because the problem is no longer theoretical. He explained that foreign actors often work through lookalikes rather than directly, which makes the manipulation harder to spot and harder to stop. He called it “a very big challenge” and a serious threat not just to Nigeria but to the entire West African region. The Commission’s recent research, he said, shows a growing trend of such manipulation in the sub-region. INEC is therefore holding local and zonal engagements, including with traditional rulers, to educate staff and the public about the dangers of misinformation and disinformation, the need to verify information before sharing it, and the negative use of artificial intelligence. In other words, the Commission is trying to combine technology, public education and partnerships, because it knows that false information can move faster than official corrections if no one is prepared.
The same concern shaped Amupitan’s request to the British High Commissioner. He asked for joint initiatives aimed at “combating AI-driven manipulation, Foreign Information Manipulation and Interference (FIMI), fake news, and hate speech, thereby protecting public trust in the democratic process.” That phrase matters because elections are not only about ballots and machines; they are also about whether people believe the process is honest. Amupitan said INEC shares the UN’s view that “election should be a source of peace and stability.” He stressed that the Commission is working to ensure the 2027 election is credible, with efficient logistics, transparent result management and results declared in due time. But he also made clear that INEC needs outside support in areas where the risks are broader than the Commission alone can handle. He sought UN support for early-warning and monitoring systems, high-level dialogue among political actors to prevent violence and reject hate speech, and joint programmes to promote the inclusion of women, youth and vulnerable groups. He said INEC is using the Election Risk Management (ERM) tool, working with security agencies, to map vulnerable areas for special attention. This is the practical side of election preparation: identifying where tensions could flare, where false claims could take root, and where voters might need extra protection or encouragement. The appeal was not for the UN or the UK to run Nigeria’s election, but to help INEC strengthen the environment in which Nigerians can vote freely and trust the outcome.
On preparations for the election itself, Amupitan said the Commission’s focus “has fully shifted from strategic planning to rigorous execution.” That is a notable way of saying that the planning stage is over and the operational stage is now in full swing. He said the first leg of the polls will hold on 16 January 2027, about 73 days away, and that nine of the 14 key activities in the Revised Timetable and Schedule of Activities have been completed. The National Register of Voters now stands at over 103 million, with young voters aged 18 to 34 making up nearly 29 percent of the electorate. That is a huge register, and it carries both opportunity and responsibility. The register is on display for claims and objections under Section 19 of the Electoral Act, and the final register will be published on 15 December 2026. INEC is also distributing Permanent Voter Cards (PVCs) across all 774 Local Government Areas, with collection points decentralised to the ward level so that voters do not have to travel long distances to collect their cards. On candidate nominations, Amupitan said the INEC Candidates Nomination Portal processed submissions from 21 of the 22 registered political parties. These include 36 Presidential and Vice-Presidential candidates from 18 parties, 4,860 National Assembly candidates, 936 Governorship and Deputy Governorship candidates, and 9,692 State House of Assembly candidates. Final lists have been published in line with statutory deadlines and judicial directives. The numbers alone show the scale of the exercise, but the deeper point is that INEC is trying to keep the process orderly, transparent and legally compliant as the election approaches.
Amupitan described technology as “the backbone of our transparency.” He disclosed that INEC has secured 57,000 Bimodal Voter Accreditation System (BVAS) devices, with shipments already arriving for batch testing and configuration. The Commission is also procuring ballot boxes and voting cubicles for all 176,846 polling units and setting up fast-track clearance with the Nigeria Customs Service and other port authorities. These are the unglamorous but essential details that determine whether an election works on the day. INEC also plans a mock accreditation and election exercise to test its technology, but Amupitan noted that budgetary provision limits its scope. He appealed for support to expand it so that it can serve as a more practical test of the general election. The Chairman said the Commission has completed its South-South readiness assessment tour and will begin the North-Central tour on Thursday. Reviewing the Commission’s recent record, he said the off-cycle governorship elections in Anambra, Ekiti and Osun, the FCT Area Council polls and 16 legislative by-elections served as “vital operational testing grounds.” He cited improved logistics, reliable BVAS accreditation, swift uploads to the IReV portal, intelligence-led security through the Inter-Agency Consultative Committee on Election Security (ICCES), faster collation, and priority voting for persons with disabilities, pregnant women and the elderly. “Every election brings its blessing,” he said, a line that captures both the lessons learned and the quiet confidence that each exercise has helped INEC sharpen its systems.
Amupitan described the UK as “one of INEC’s most steadfast international partners” and thanked it for past support in capacity building, gender mainstreaming, voter education and institutional policy design. But he did not stop at gratitude. He asked for help with cybersecurity for election hardware, data transmission networks and public portals, specialised training for ICT staff, legal officers and election managers, and voter education for marginalised groups. These requests reflect a simple reality: modern elections are digital, and digital systems need protection. A strong democracy also needs to reach everyone, including people who are often left out of public information. Amupitan tied Nigeria’s election to a wider regional picture. “The integrity of Nigeria’s democracy matters not only to our citizens but to the peace, stability, and economic growth of the entire West African sub-region and the African continent,” he said. That is not an exaggeration in a region where Nigeria’s size and influence carry weight far beyond its borders. He assured both delegations of the Commission’s resolve, adding: “INEC remains resolutely independent, impartial, and committed to delivering a 2027 General Election that meets the highest global standards of transparency and fairness.” The statement was both a promise and a warning: INEC wants help against manipulation, but it intends to remain the institution in charge of Nigeria’s election.
The responses from the two envoys were supportive and carefully worded. Mr Simao said the UN’s purpose was to back the Commission in a demanding task. “We came here with a mission, and our mission is to support you,” he said. Noting the security challenges facing Nigeria, he added: “Election should not be another source of violence for the country, another burden for the country.” He told the Commission that “you are not alone in facing this mammoth task.” The UN envoy said UNOWAS had consulted political parties, candidates and government institutions on the country’s preparedness. He said the UN would be present during the election, “not as observers because we don’t have mandates to be observers,” but so that its presence could “inspire and encourage also positive behaviours.” He also stressed the regional stakes. “Successful elections in Nigeria will be a sort of inspiration to other countries also to follow through,” he said. Mr Vowles, who said he has been in Nigeria for about eight weeks, described the visit as a courtesy call to learn about INEC’s work. He said he came out of “the recognition of how much Nigeria’s democracy matters to Nigeria, to 240 million Nigerians, to the region, and to the world.” He said the 2027 elections are “a really important opportunity for Nigeria to showcase to the world how a strong democracy in a large, diverse country should operate.” Taken together, the meetings showed an INEC that is asking for help without surrendering its independence, and international partners that are signalling support without pretending to take over. The message was clear: the 2027 election is a Nigerian exercise, but its credibility matters far beyond Nigeria’s borders.