INEC assures Nigerians that every vote will be counted in 2027

The Independent National Electoral Commission has assured Nigerians that every vote will be counted in the 2027 general elections, even as the commission is committed to strengthening the democratic process in the country.

INEC Deputy Director of Voter Education and Planning, Mrs Magdalene Aku, gave the assurance on Wednesday in Abuja at a democracy roundtable organized by the Nigerian Union of Journalists (NUJ) Chapel of the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN).

Speaking on the theme, “Making the Vote Count in Nigeria by 2027: The Role of INEC,” I said that ensuring that the votes are counted is not just a slogan but a commitment to ensure that voters’ choices are reflected in the election results.

He described voters as the “decision makers” in a constitutional democracy, and emphasized that the commission’s primary responsibility is to protect the will of voters rather than determine who wins or loses elections.

“For INEC, counting your vote is not just a slogan; it is the cornerstone of our democracy, and we always strive to ensure that we implement the right processes, the right tools to ensure that every individual’s voice matters.

“Our focus is on the Nigerian electorate. We don’t care about who wins or loses the election; our focus is on the Nigerian electorate, and that is why we always prioritize the electorate to recognize the fact that you are the king,” he said.

I highlighted the KPU’s implementation of technology to enhance election credibility and curb election fraud, citing the transition from Smart Card Readers to the Bimodal Voter Accreditation System (BVAS), as well as the real-time upload of polling station results via the INEC Result Viewing (IReV) portal.

He added that transparency begins at the voting unit, where results recorded on Form EC8A are displayed to the public before being submitted electronically, thereby enabling voters and other stakeholders to verify voting results.