The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has assured Nigerians that their votes would count in the forthcoming 2027 general elections.

The Commission added that it would do all within its powers for the 2027 general elections to reflect the wishes of residents of Kwara State.

The Head, Voters Education and Publicity, Kwara State INEC, Dr Adejumo Peter, said this in Ilorin, the Kwara State capital, at a seminar organised by the Correspondents’ Chapel of the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ).

Dr Peter pooh-poohed politicians allegedly stockpiling permanent voter’s cards (PVCs), saying such politicians are still living in the past.

“INEC has done a lot to ensure that nobody can use other people’s PVC to vote in an election. That is why politicians have now resorted to vote-buying.

“Many of the politicians are still living in the past as stocking and carting away of PVCs cannot ensure electoral victory,” he added.

He said: “INEC in Kwara will follow the rules and procedures as laid down by our Commission. We will ensure that the elections are done on one man, one vote basis. At the end of the exercise the outcome of the elections will reflect the will of the people.

“I urge politicians to play according to the rules. They should campaign and tell the electorate their manifestos. They should shun violence before, during and after the elections.

“Let us do the elections peacefully like sport. They should accept the outcome of the elections as it is.”

Speaking on the topic: ‘Dissecting the amended Electoral Act 2026: Innovations, and implications for Nigeria’s 2027 general elections,’ Head, Legal Unit of the Commission, Atata Abdulfatai, said the amended Electoral Act 2026 “marks a transformative moment in the evolution of Nigeria’s electoral framework.”

Abdulfatai added that “as Nigeria approaches 2027 general elections, the Act will serve as both a test and a tool for deepening the country’s democratic governance.

Continuing, Abdulfatai said that “it introduces commendable reforms aimed at enhancing transparency, strengthening internal party democracy and leveraging technology.

At the same time, it raises critical legal and practical questions, particularly in relation to constitutional consistency, the enforceability of campaign finance limits, the ouster of judicial jurisdiction party affair and the narrowing of grounds for election petitions.

“Ultimately, the success of these innovations will depend not only on their legislative design, but also on effective implementation, institutional capacity and judicial interpretation.”

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