The Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission, Professor Joash Ojo Amupitan (SAN), has called for a stronger institutional partnership with the National Orientation Agency to intensify voter education, combat misinformation, and reverse the growing trend of voter apathy ahead of the 2027 General Election.
Speaking on Wednesday at the INEC headquarters in Abuja while receiving the Director-General of the NOA, Lanre Issa-Onilu, on a courtesy visit, the INEC chairman described the engagement as more than a ceremonial meeting, saying it represented a strategic alliance between two institutions with complementary constitutional mandates to strengthen Nigeria’s democratic culture.
According to Amupitan, while INEC remains responsible for conducting credible elections through technological innovation and efficient electoral administration, sustainable democracy depends on an informed and engaged citizenry—a responsibility that makes the NOA an indispensable partner.
He noted that investments in electoral technologies such as the Bimodal Voter Accreditation System (BVAS) and the INEC Result Viewing Portal (IReV) would have little impact if Nigerians remained disconnected from the electoral process or lacked confidence in the value of their votes.
“The finest electoral technology cannot deliver democracy if citizens remain cynical or uninformed about the power of their votes,” the INEC chairman said.
Amupitan praised the NOA’s nationwide grassroots presence and its statutory responsibility to promote democratic values, civic responsibility, patriotism, and public enlightenment. He cited provisions of the National Orientation Agency Act, which mandate the agency to educate Nigerians on democratic norms, mobilise citizens for national participation, and discourage electoral malpractice, corruption, and other societal vices.
He described the collaboration between both agencies on voter education as “an absolute necessity” rather than an optional partnership.
The INEC chairman expressed concern over what he described as a “silent but dangerous enemy” threatening Nigeria’s electoral process voter apathy fueled by widespread cynicism and sophisticated disinformation campaigns.
According to him, recent off-cycle elections have consistently recorded voter turnout that falls short of the level of public political engagement observed across traditional and digital media.
He stressed that the two agencies must jointly develop a decentralised voter education strategy capable of reaching citizens in both urban and rural communities.
Amupitan said the campaign should educate Nigerians on why participation matters and reassure them that modern electoral safeguards have significantly improved the credibility of elections.
He maintained that advances in electoral technology have substantially reduced opportunities for traditional forms of manipulation such as ballot box snatching and manual alteration of election results.
While highlighting INEC’s operational successes during the February 21, 2026, Federal Capital Territory Area Council elections and the June 20, 2026, Ekiti State governorship election, Amupitan said both polls demonstrated that the Commission’s technological reforms were yielding positive results.
He disclosed that both elections recorded over 90 percent early opening of polling units, efficient biometric accreditation using BVAS, and rapid, transparent upload of results through the IReV platform.
he acknowledged that the elections also revealed significant voter education challenges, particularly persistent voter apathy and widespread confusion among many urban residents over polling unit restructuring and voter registration transfers.
According to him, the experience demonstrated that while electoral technology continues to evolve, public understanding of the system has not kept pace.
He warned that delaying comprehensive voter education until shortly before the general election would be a costly mistake, insisting that nationwide civic engagement must begin immediately.
Amupitan commended Issa-Onilu’s leadership of the NOA, describing him as a communications strategist who understands the changing dynamics of public engagement.
He argued that civic orientation in contemporary Nigeria must move beyond conventional bureaucratic communication methods and embrace digital platforms and youth-centred messaging capable of connecting with the country’s large young population.
the INEC chairman said preparations should begin immediately, revealing that the presidential election is scheduled for January 16, 2027, while governorship elections will follow on February 6, 2027.
He proposed the establishment of a structured working relationship between INEC’s Voter Education Department and the communication teams of the NOA to jointly execute nationwide campaigns against vote buying, electoral misinformation, and other threats to democratic participation.
Amupitan also pledged that INEC would make available its institutional resources, technical expertise, and operational data to support the NOA’s nationwide enlightenment efforts.
He said properly trained NOA field officers could serve as trusted sources of accurate electoral information within communities across the country, helping to counter false narratives and improve public confidence in the electoral process.
The chairman expressed optimism that the partnership would usher in what he described as “a golden era of civic consciousness” in Nigeria, reaffirming the Commission’s commitment to working closely with the NOA to strengthen public trust and deepen democratic participation ahead of the 2027 general elections.
