INEC, NOA strengthen collbaoration to tackle voter apathy ahead of 2027 polls
By Taiwo Scholarstica
The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has called for closer collaboration with the National Orientation Agency (NOA) to address voter apathy, misinformation, and civic disengagement ahead of the 2027 General Election.
The INEC Chairman, Professor Joash Amupitan, made the call on Wednesday while receiving the Director-General of the NOA, Lanre Issa-Onilu, during a courtesy visit to the commission’s headquarters in Abuja.
Amupitan described the meeting as a strategic engagement between two institutions constitutionally responsible for promoting democratic values and civic participation among Nigerians.
He stressed that advances in electoral technology would only be effective if citizens understood and trusted the electoral process.
According to him, investments in innovations such as the Bimodal Voter Accreditation System (BVAS) and the INEC Result Viewing Portal (IReV) would have limited impact if voters remained uninformed or disconnected from the democratic system.
The INEC chairman called for the development of a decentralized grassroots voter education campaign aimed at educating citizens on the importance of voting and the safeguards established to protect electoral outcomes.
He noted that Nigerians must be assured that electoral reforms and technology have significantly strengthened the credibility of elections, adding that the era of ballot box snatching and the manual manipulation of results is gradually being eliminated.
Amupitan cited the February 21 Federal Capital Territory Area Council elections and the June 20 Ekiti State governorship election as clear examples of improvements in election administration, highlighting the early opening of polling units, successful biometric accreditation, and the timely uploading of results to the IReV portal.
Despite these gains, he expressed concern over persistent voter apathy and the confusion surrounding polling unit transfers and registration updates, particularly among urban residents.
Describing voter apathy, cynicism, fake news, and disinformation as major threats to democracy, Amupitan urged both agencies to intensify efforts to restore public confidence in the electoral system.
He revealed that preparations for the 2027 elections have already begun, with the presidential election scheduled for January 16, 2027, and governorship elections fixed for February 6, 2027.
The INEC chairman pledged the commission’s full support for collaboration with the NOA, including data sharing and joint campaigns to combat vote-buying and misinformation.