INEC Says 2023 Presidential Election Failures Will Not Recur

The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has assured Nigerians that the challenges that undermined public confidence in the 2023 presidential election will not recur, citing improvements in its electoral processes ahead of the 2027 general elections.

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 had contributed to declining public trust.

She attributed the difficulties partly to heavy traffic on the commission’s website during the presidential poll, explaining that improvements were subsequently made before the governorship elections.

Iwenjiora admitted that INEC had fallen short of public expectations but urged Nigerians not to lose confidence in the electoral process. She expressed optimism about the current leadership under the commission’s chairman, Prof Joash Amupitan, noting that he had been working with commissioners and other officials to improve the institution’s performance.

She also highlighted the commission’s voter education initiatives, including campus debates and engagements with civil society organisations, religious groups and community-based organisations.

According to her, INEC cannot independently reach every community and requires the support of development partners and other stakeholders to expand civic awareness.

Iwenjiora particularly urged young Nigerians to participate actively in elections rather than limiting political engagement to discussions on social media.

She encouraged them to join political parties, express their views and collect their Permanent Voter Cards, stressing that their absence from the electoral process could leave decisions about their future in the hands of others.

On electoral security, she said INEC was working with security agencies, including the police, military and Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps, through an inter-agency arrangement. She added that technology, including drones, would be deployed to help identify electoral offences such as vote-buying.

Addressing concerns about PVC collection, the official explained that cards were being distributed in batches and advised registrants whose cards were not yet available at their local government offices to continue checking with the commission.

Earlier, the Executive Director of Kimpact Development Initiative, Bukola Idowu, said credible elections required strong institutions and active citizen participation.

He identified declining trust in institutions, misinformation, economic pressures, electoral insecurity and inadequate voter education as factors discouraging young people from voting.

Also speaking, the Resident Country Director of the National Democratic Institute in Nigeria, Francis Madugu, said the YERP-Naija initiative, launched in 2024, was designed to sustain electoral engagement between the 2023 and 2027 election cycles.

He disclosed that the initiative had recruited and virtually trained youth volunteers across all 109 senatorial districts to conduct peer-to-peer voter education across the 774 local government areas, 36 states and the Federal Capital Territory.

Madugu said only about 27 per cent of registered voters participated in the 2023 presidential election, describing the turnout as a concern for Nigeria’s democratic development.