The Human Rights Writers Association of Nigeria (HURIWA) has urged the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to go beyond workshops and training programmes in its efforts to rebuild public confidence ahead of the 2027 general elections.
HURIWA said strengthening INEC’s internal operations was important but not enough to address voter apathy, misinformation and declining trust in the electoral process.
The group made the call in a statement signed by its National Coordinator, Comrade Emmanuel Nnadozie Onwubiko, on Wednesday.
The statement followed INEC Chairman, Prof. Joash Amupitan’s announcement of measures to strengthen the commission’s operations ahead of the 2027 elections.
Amupitan had also announced a two-day Strategic Operational Workshop for INEC Administrative Secretaries in Lagos, saying the commission had entered a critical six-month preparation period.
HURIWA said the commission must take its engagement beyond conference rooms and directly address the concerns of voters across the country.
“Workshops are necessary, but they cannot substitute for direct engagement with the electorate,” the group said.
It asked INEC to explain how eligible Nigerians who could not register or update their voter information during the Continuous Voter Registration exercise would be accommodated within the law.
INEC had disclosed that 10,772,421 new registrants were captured during the three phases of the CVR conducted between August 2025 and July 2026.
HURIWA said the figure should be accompanied by details of successful registrations, rejected applications, pending cases and challenges faced by applicants across the states and the Federal Capital Territory.
The group also called for regular consultations with civil society organisations, youth and women groups, persons with disabilities, professional bodies, traditional institutions, religious leaders and community organisations.
It urged INEC to take such engagements beyond Abuja and into the six geopolitical zones and local communities.
HURIWA further called for a transparent complaints system through which voters could submit complaints, receive acknowledgement and track how their cases were handled.
The group also urged INEC to intensify voter education and provide regular public updates on electoral technology, logistics, ad hoc staff, polling-unit accessibility and results management.
It said INEC should also explain its contingency plans for areas affected by insecurity and network challenges.
According to HURIWA, public confidence should be treated as a key measure of INEC’s readiness for the 2027 elections.
The group said the success of the election would not be determined by the number of workshops organised but by whether Nigerians trusted the electoral process enough to vote and believe their votes would be protected and accurately counted.
HURIWA urged INEC to demonstrate, rather than merely announce, its preparedness for the 2027 elections