Civil society organisations and other stakeholders have called on the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to ensure the effective and reliable functioning of its Result Viewing Portal (IReV) throughout the 2027 general elections.

They also urged the commission, the National Orientation Agency (NOA) and civil society groups to intensify voter education and mobilisation, particularly among young Nigerians, to address declining confidence in the electoral process, difficulties in collecting permanent voter cards (PVCs) and concerns over electoral violence.

The stakeholders made the recommendations in a communiqué issued at the end of the Second Stakeholder Roundtable on Voter Education and Youth Participation convened by Kimpact Development Initiative (KDI) under the Youth Electoral Reform Project (YERP-Naija), Phase IV in Abuja.

The roundtable, themed, “Strengthening Youth Participation in Nigeria’s 2027 Elections: Voter Education, Participation Barriers, and Technology-Enabled Engagement,” brought together representatives of INEC, NOA, the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC), civil society organisations, youth groups, political parties, the media and development partners.

The participants said although the IReV portal performed reasonably well during the 2026 governorship elections in Ekiti and Osun states, Nigerians needed stronger assurances that it would function effectively during the 2027 general elections.

They called on INEC to ensure the reliability of the platform, which allows citizens to view polling unit results, throughout the electoral process.

The stakeholders also identified declining public confidence, difficulties faced by registered voters in collecting their PVCs, inadequate voter education and electoral violence as major factors discouraging young people from participating in the elections.

Findings presented at the meeting showed that PVC collection was the most prominent concern raised by young Nigerians across the country, followed by voter registration challenges, vote buying and other barriers to participation.

The communiqué noted that the YERP-Naija Reform Tracker, deployed first in Ekiti State and subsequently in Osun, was designed to monitor the implementation of electoral reforms and generate evidence for accountability.

It disclosed that 220 young Nigerians had been trained and deployed across the six geopolitical zones to monitor the implementation of electoral reforms.

Since October, the youth monitors had submitted more than 656 reports, with monitoring activities continuing into November.

According to the communiqué, PVC collection challenges accounted for 152 reports, while voter registration challenges recorded 79 submissions. Accessibility barriers and issues relating to digital PVCs accounted for 18 reports.

It further stated that 95.4 per cent of reports recorded in Sokoto State concerned PVC collection challenges, a situation participants said required further investigation to identify the specific problems and develop targeted interventions.

The stakeholders also observed that some technical difficulties experienced on INEC’s digital platforms could result from operational limitations and increased traffic rather than deliberate actions.

They cited the possibility that online voter registration platforms tested with a limited number of users could experience congestion when accessed by a larger population.

On downloadable PVCs, participants noted that INEC officials had explained at the previous roundtable that applications were required to be submitted at least 90 days before an election.

They expressed concern that many Nigerians were unaware of the option until the application deadline had passed, thereby limiting their opportunity to benefit from the initiative.

The meeting also called for adequate funding and timely release of resources to INEC, noting that the availability of funds was essential to effective electoral preparations and administration.

It urged the government to make civic and voter education a year-round activity rather than limiting such programmes to election periods.

The participants further called on INEC, NOA and civil society organisations to collaborate on voter education and get-out-the-vote campaigns, with messages targeted at issues affecting young people.

hey recommended that the agencies engage social media influencers and leverage their platforms to expand the reach of voter education initiatives.

The communiqué also urged young Nigerians to mobilise their peers to participate in elections, protect their votes and hold the electoral process accountable.

It called on security agencies to provide adequate protection for voters and ensure that the electoral environment was free from intimidation and violence.

The stakeholders further advocated stronger accountability mechanisms to protect the independence of public institutions, while urging political actors to promote the genuine representation of young people rather than using them as political thugs or instruments of mobilisation.

They also called for the linkage of Bank Verification Numbers (BVNs) to PVCs to strengthen the security of the voter identification system, and encouraged eligible Nigerians to register, collect their cards and take responsibility for protecting and using them.

The roundtable urged INEC to be more receptive to feedback and constructive criticism to enable it identify operational gaps and take corrective action. (Daily Trust)