The Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Professor Joash Ojo Amupitan, says the days of people snatching ballot boxes or changing election results are over.
He said the technology now in use is strong enough to protect every vote cast during the 2027 general elections.
Amupitan spoke on Wednesday in Abuja while receiving the Director General of the National Orientation Agency (NOA), Mallam Lanre Issa-Onilu, during a courtesy visit to the INEC headquarters.
The INEC chairman recalled that the presidential election will take place on January 16, while the governorship elections are scheduled for February 6, 2027. He said the commission must begin serious public engagement without delay.
He also warned that voter apathy and the spread of false information remain major threats to a free and fair election.
Amupitan said, “We need to explain to them why their vote is important and how our new laws and technology help keep their choices safe.
“We need to meet the rural farmer, the marketplace seller, and the discouraged city youth straight on and tell them, in a way they can understand, that because of the existing technology, the time when people could take over ballot boxes or change results by hand is over.
“This shows that even though our technology is getting better, people are not keeping up with how the system is changing. He said,
“This is a clear sign that there is a lot more work to do in educating voters deeply and thoroughly, and it shows we can’t wait until right before the 2027 elections to start engaging with our people.”
