• Acquires 57,000 BVAS as registered voters hit 103m
• Targets simultaneous voting across polling units in 2027 polls

Ahead of the January 16, 2027 general election, the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has deployed a joint financial monitoring mechanism with relevant anti-graft and financial intelligence agencies to track illegal campaign spending.

This came as the commission disclosed that the number of registered voters rose to more than 103 million.

Also, INEC said it acquired 57,000 new Bimodal Voter Accreditation System (BVAS) machines as part of measures to strengthen the technological infrastructure for the 2027 elections.

It disclosed its target of commencing voting simultaneously across all polling units nationwide during the elections.

INEC Chairman, Prof. Joash Amupitan, disclosed these yesterday in Abuja while delivering a keynote at a strategic workshop with media executives organised by the Nigerian Guild of Editors (NGE) in collaboration with the commission.

Amupitan said the commission was determined to prevent money from undermining the credibility of the elections.

He said INEC was collaborating with the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) and the Nigerian Financial Intelligence Unit (NFIU) to monitor campaign financing and identify suspicious expenditure.

According to Amupitan, the teams will track illegal campaign spending, strengthen surveillance around polling units to detect attempts to influence voters through financial inducements.

While warning political actors that violation of the Electoral Act would attract arrest and prosecution, Amupitan said elections must be decided by the conviction of the voter, not the depth of a candidate’s pocket.

The chairman disclosed that the National Register of Voters had surpassed 103 million, following the completion of the three-phase Continuous Voter Registration (CVR) exercise.

The exercise, he added, produced 10,772,421 new registrants, comprising 2,611,266 in the first phase, 4,121,835 in the second phase and 3,867,997 in the third phase, subject to final verification, completing completed eight of the 14 major statutory activities contained in its timetable for the 2027 elections.

The electoral umpire said the final Automated Biometric Identification System (ABIS) cleanup was complete, and the preliminary register was displayed for claims and objections.

“In line with Section 10 of the Electoral Act 2026, the first phase of the CVR commenced on August 25, 2025 and ended on December 10, 2025, registering 2,611,266 voters; Phase II commenced on January 5, 2026, and ended on April 17, 2026, registering 4,121 ,835 voters; and Phase Ill commenced on May 11, 2026 and ended on July 26, 2026, registering 3,867,997 voters. The total new registration stands at 10,772,421, subject to the ABIS verification being concluded,” he added.

Earlier, President of the Nigerian Guild of Editors (NGE), Eze Anaba, called for a credible and transparent electoral process that would ensure voters, rather than the courts, determine the outcome of elections.

He said elections were not merely about casting ballots but about building citizens’ confidence that their votes would count and that institutions responsible for conducting elections would act fairly and professionally.”

Akingbulu said verification was a two-way process, arguing that newsrooms could not properly verify information that institutions failed to disclose.

Warning against deepfakes, fabricated campaign materials and other forms of manipulated content, saying such developments could undermine public confidence in the electoral process.

The Executive Director of the International Press Centre (IPI), LanreArogundade, stressed the importance of timely and transparent communication from INEC.

Amupitan said the commission was drawing lessons from recent off-cycle elections and would improve its logistics, personnel and technology ahead of the 2027 polls.

The commission warned political parties, candidates and campaign managers against violence, intimidation and hate speech ahead of the 2027 general elections.

The INEC chairman said the commission, through the Inter-Agency Consultative Committee on Election Security (ICCES), activated an early-warning framework to monitor political violence, thuggery and dangerous campaign rhetoric.

He warned that political parties or candidates found responsible for inciting violence, disrupting opponents’ rallies or using armed thugs would face sanctions.

Calling on editors, whom he described as the “bridge in an era of information chaos”, to work with INEC to build a public space of verified information, civic responsibility and institutional trust, Amupitan added: “When newsrooms prioritise factual accuracy over sensational headlines, when reports contextualise field logistics rather than default to inflammatory speculation, and when information is verified before publication, you perform a sacred public service. You act as the primary filter protecting our democracy against information disorder.”