INEC, NOA Meeting: Technology Alone Cannot Save Democracy, Says Amupitan, Raises Alarm Over Voter Apathy

INEC, NOA Meeting: Technology Alone Cannot Save Democracy, Says Amupitan, Raises Alarm Over Voter Apathy
By Oru Leonard
The Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Prof. Joash Amupitan, has warned that technological innovations alone cannot guarantee credible elections or strengthen Nigeria’s democracy without active voter participation and sustained civic education.
Amupitan sounded the warning on Wednesday in Abuja while receiving the Director-General of the National Orientation Agency (NOA), Mallam Lanre Issa-Onilu, who paid him a courtesy visit at the Commission’s headquarters.
The INEC chairman expressed concern over increasing voter apathy and the spread of fake news, describing them as the biggest threats confronting Nigeria’s electoral process ahead of the 2027 general elections.
According to him, although the Commission has recorded significant progress in deploying technology to improve election transparency, many Nigerians remain sceptical about the electoral process due to misinformation and declining public confidence.
He cited the recent Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Area Council elections and the Ekiti State off-cycle governorship election as evidence that INEC’s technological reforms are yielding results.
According to Amupitan, the elections witnessed over 90 per cent early opening of polling units, effective voter accreditation through the Bimodal Voter Accreditation System (BVAS), and prompt uploading of results to the INEC Result Viewing (IReV) portal.
“Technology has strengthened our processes, but technology alone cannot save democracy. Citizens must understand the process, trust the system and participate actively in elections,” he said.
The INEC chairman noted, however, that the same elections exposed persistent voter apathy, widespread misinformation and confusion among many voters, particularly those unfamiliar with polling unit restructuring and voter registration transfer procedures.
He warned that coordinated fake news campaigns are eroding public trust by creating the false impression that votes do not count, thereby discouraging citizens from participating in elections.
Amupitan also maintained that technological safeguards have substantially reduced the possibility of ballot box snatching and manual manipulation of election results, urging Nigerians to have confidence in the electoral system.
With the 2027 presidential election scheduled for January 16 and governorship elections fixed for February 6, he said INEC would commence aggressive voter education well ahead of the polls.
He called for closer collaboration between INEC and the National Orientation Agency to implement nationwide grassroots campaigns aimed at combating voter apathy, vote buying and misinformation.
Responding, the Director-General of NOA, Mallam Lanre Issa-Onilu, pledged the agency’s full support, saying its offices across the 36 states, the Federal Capital Territory and all local government areas would be mobilised to intensify voter education and promote informed participation in the 2027 general elections.