Nigeria’s electoral body has declared a decisive victory against voter impersonation and multiple voting, crediting the full deployment of its digital verification system. Speaking at the 2025 Digital Nigeria International Conference and Exhibition, Joash Ojo Amupitan, Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), announced that the use of technology has fundamentally secured the country’s democracy.
Represented by National Commissioner May Agbamuche-Mbu, the INEC Chairman stated that the Bimodal Voter Accreditation System (BVAS) has become a “foolproof mechanism” that effectively eliminates identity theft at polling units.
“The BVAS device has become our frontline defence against identity fraud, ensuring that only the rightful, eligible voter can be accredited,” the Chairman affirmed in a statement. “With the biometric safeguards now in place, voter impersonation has been effectively eliminated from our electoral system.”
Amupitan backed his claims with tangible data, highlighting the recent Anambra Governorship Election where 6,879 BVAS devices delivered “exceptional performance.” Crucially, more than 99% of polling unit results were successfully uploaded to the INEC Result Viewing (IReV) portal on election day.
“These outcomes confirm that the deployment of BVAS and IReV is no longer experimental but an entrenched part of Nigeria’s electoral architecture,” he stated, emphasising that results announced at polling units now transparently match what the public sees online.
The INEC Chairman noted that a key turning point was the Electoral Act 2022, specifically Section 47(2), which provided the necessary statutory force for digital accreditation tools, something earlier election technologies lacked. “This legislative foundation ensures that our digital devices have both operational and legal legitimacy. It has strengthened public trust and enabled the Commission to innovate with confidence.”
He promised that the significant gains recorded are “too significant to reverse,” dismissing any suggestion of returning to the manual accreditation process, which he described as being “vulnerable to human interference.”
Beyond enhancing democracy, the successful deployment of electoral technology like BVAS and IReV is expected to yield substantial economic dividends for Nigeria. Economists argue that the elimination of widespread electoral fraud and the resulting increase in transparency and political stability are critical for attracting capital.
Credible elections are viewed internationally as a key indicator of strong institutions and good governance. High levels of non-transparency, driven by corruption or electoral malpractice, severely reduce foreign investors’ confidence. The World Bank and other institutions consistently link political stability and transparency to Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) inflows.
“The introduction of a genuinely secure electoral system signals to the global market that Nigeria is committed to the rule of law and accountability,” explained one Lagos-based investment analyst. “This certainty is what investors both foreign and domestic look for. A predictable, stable political environment reduces investment risk, ultimately making Nigeria a more attractive destination for the capital needed for infrastructural and economic growth.”
By stamping out “ghost voting” and ensuring that every vote is accurately counted, the technology fosters a political class that is more accountable to the electorate, potentially leading to better economic policies and a reduced incidence of policy volatility.
Despite the successes, the INEC Chairman acknowledged that significant connectivity challenges remain the biggest obstacle to achieving seamless, real-time result transmission across all of Nigeria’s 176,846 polling units. These units are often scattered across complex terrain, including swamps, mountains, and remote settlements.
“A tool like the BVAS is only as good as the network it runs on,” Amupitan admitted, noting that these connectivity gaps hinder real-time result uploads and pose a major logistical concern.
The Commission is actively working with the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) and telecom operators, while also exploring alternative technologies, to improve network reliability in these hard-to-reach areas.
In closing, Amupitan reiterated the Commission’s simple but fundamental mission: “To ensure that every eligible voter is accurately verified, every vote is properly counted, and every result is transparently shared. Technology has helped us secure these foundations of democracy.” The consensus among attendees at the Digital Nigeria Conference was that this technological leap is not just a win for electoral process, but a crucial step towards long-term national stability and economic growth.
