Sir: As Nigeria inches closer to the 2027 general elections, the wounds of 2023 remain fresh. Once again, public trust has been shaken by the very institution entrusted with safeguarding our democracy.
The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) introduced the Bimodal Voter Accreditation System (BVAS) and the INEC Result Viewing Portal (IREV) with much fanfare, presenting them as revolutionary tools that would guarantee transparency, credibility, and electoral integrity.
But like the proverbial Trojan horse, what was sold as a gift soon revealed deeper concerns.
The promise that fell apart
During the 2023 elections, BVAS largely performed its primary function of voter accreditation. That aspect of the process was relatively seamless.
However, the real test—real-time transmission of polling unit results to the IREV portal—failed spectacularly. INEC attributed the breakdown to “technical glitches,” yet those glitches curiously emerged during the presidential election, while elections considered less politically sensitive proceeded with minimal disruption.
To many Nigerians, this was not merely a technological failure; it felt like a profound betrayal.
Judicial greenlight for institutional ambiguity
The disappointment deepened following the decisions of the Presidential Election Petition Tribunal and appellate courts. The judiciary ruled that INEC was not under a strict legal obligation to electronically transmit results.
This judgment sent shockwaves through the legal and civic communities. Many Nigerians had assumed that the Electoral Act 2022 ushered in a new era of enforceable technological transparency. Instead, the rulings exposed legislative loopholes and reaffirmed INEC’s discretionary powers. The subtext was clear: IREV is optional, not mandatory.
Can BVAS and IREV be trusted in 2027?
The 2027 elections will not be redeemed by good intentions or election-season assurances. They will only be credible if the legal framework mandates—rather than merely encourages—technological transparency.
It is no longer sufficient for INEC to promise the use of BVAS and IREV. The law must compel their use, clearly define their legal effect, and prescribe consequences for non-compliance.
Urgent legal reforms before 2026
To avert a repeat of 2023, the National Assembly must act decisively and urgently. Amendments to the Electoral Act should:
Clearly mandate electronic transmission of results from polling units; Define the legal status of results published on IREV, including their admissibility as primary evidence in election petitions.
Impose strict penalties on INEC officials who deliberately breach technological protocols; and Establish a transparent digital audit framework to independently verify claims of technical failure. Without these reforms, electoral technology will remain a cosmetic feature rather than a democratic safeguard.
Civil society must not sleep
While political actors are already positioning themselves for 2027, civil society organisations, legal practitioners, and the media must intensify pressure for legislative reform.
Electoral integrity cannot be secured in the heat of election year panic. By mid-2026, all reforms should be enacted, tested, and operational. Any further delay appears less like negligence and more like deliberate design.
Conclusion: Cosmetic reform is not enough
BVAS and IREV were designed to work. What failed was not the technology, but the political will to allow it function fully—and the legal courage to enforce its use.
As Nigeria approaches another pivotal election cycle, citizens must demand clarity, enforceability, and accountability. Technology should not be celebrated only when it is convenient for those in power. If nothing changes, 2027 risks becoming a painful reenactment of 2023.
Zebulon Chinedu Obi, a legal practitioner and policy commentator based in Lagos, specialises in electoral justice and constitutional law.
