INEC: 2023 Result Upload Failures Resolved, 2027 Elections to Run Smoothly

The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) says the technical problems that disrupted electronic transmission of results during the 2023 general election have been resolved, assuring voters of a smoother process in 2027.

Joash Amupitan, INEC chairman, gave the assurance on Saturday at a citizens’ town hall on the Electoral Act 2026 in Abuja. He said the commission has addressed the system failures that prevented real-time upload of polling unit results to the INEC Result Viewing Portal (IReV) during the 2023 presidential election.

According to Amupitan, lessons from the last general election prompted broader testing and system upgrades.

While the Bimodal Voter Accreditation System (BVAS) was deployed in several off-cycle governorship elections before 2023, he said the scale of the presidential poll revealed the need for more extensive stress-testing across states.

“Election anywhere in the world is now about technology, but before deploying any technology, it is important to test it thoroughly,” he said, adding that INEC is working towards delivering a near-perfect process in 2027.

Amupitan also clarified that legal provisions allowing alternative collation methods are contingency measures and do not suggest an expectation of system failure. He said the safeguards exist to ensure continuity but expressed confidence that electronic transmission will function as planned in the next general election.