Nigeria's INEC Prepares for 2027 Elections with Recruitment Drive, Voter Register Cleanup, and Technology Audits

The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) opened an online recruitment portal on July 20, 2026, inviting qualified Nigerians to apply for positions across administrative, legal, ICT, operations and technical cadres. Applications close on July 27 and are free of charge; false information may lead to disqualification.

INEC Chairman Professor Joash Amupitan confirmed that the voters' register still contains names of deceased persons, some dead for up to 15 years. In partnership with the National Identity Management Commission (NIMC), which holds data on over 136 million Nigerians, INEC plans to continuously audit and purge duplicates, under‑age entries and dead voters to reduce inflated printing costs and curb potential fraud.

To strengthen credibility ahead of the 2027 general election, INEC is considering a comprehensive audit of all electoral technology, including the Bimodal Voter Accreditation System (BVAS) and the INEC Result Viewing Portal, as well as a mock presidential election to test systems and cyber‑security measures.

The Imole Campaign Council, backing Osun Governor Ademola Adeleke, raised concerns about INEC’s handling of BVAS machines, PVC distribution, insufficient ballot papers and alleged pre‑loading of BVAS units in recent off‑cycle elections. The council urged the commission to deploy extra BVAS devices, ensure transparent PVC issuance and address other observed lapses before the August 15 Osun governorship poll.