2027 polls: Tech stakeholders warn connectivity, cyber threats could undermine elections

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By Juliet Umeh

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Stakeholders in Nigeria’s technology and telecommunications industry have warned that poor connectivity, cybersecurity threats, misinformation and inadequate digital infrastructure could undermine the credibility of the 2027 general elections if not urgently addressed.

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Read Also: 2027: INEC asks court to dismiss Atiku’s suit over Tinubu certificates

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They also called for sustained investment in electoral technology, stressing that election infrastructure should not be treated as a once-in-four-years project.

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The stakeholders spoke at the Nigeria eGovernment Summit 2026 in Lagos, theme: “Mainstreaming Technologies in Nigeria Election Management.”

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Chairman of the Nigeria eGovernment Summit, Engr. Lanre Ajayi, said Nigeria must move beyond experimenting with electoral technology to making it an embedded and trusted component of election management.

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According to him, “The question is not simply whether we should use technology in elections. Nigeria has answered that question. The question is how we mainstream it: how we move technology from pilot projects and contested deployments to an embedded, trusted, comprehensive and citizen-endorsed feature of our electoral architecture.

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“An election that citizens do not trust is not merely a flawed process; it is a crisis of legitimacy.”

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Ajayi noted that while biometric voter registration, voter authentication and electronic transmission of results had transformed election administration, infrastructure gaps, cybersecurity vulnerabilities and digital literacy challenges remained threats to public confidence.

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Similarly, President of the Internet Society, Nigeria Chapter, Engr. Kunle Olorudare, represented by Mrs. Gbemisola Esho, identified technology resilience, digital rights and information integrity as critical to credible elections.

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He said: “We must analyse the resilience, security and capability of electronic voting and data transmission infrastructure to ensure no polling unit is left in the dark.

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“We must safeguard the digital rights, privacy and online freedoms of every citizen, ensuring technology empowers rather than marginalises.”

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He also warned that fake news and misinformation could pose serious threats to the electoral process, calling for tools and frameworks that authenticate information and strengthen public trust.

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The Association of Telecommunications Companies of Nigeria, ATCON, also stressed the importance of reliable connectivity.

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ATCON President, Tony Emoekpere, said: “There can be no meaningful digital transformation without reliable connectivity. Behind every digital platform, every electronic transaction and every real-time exchange of information is telecommunications infrastructure that must work.”

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He called for deliberate collaboration among the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, government, telecom operators, technology providers, infrastructure companies and security agencies to identify vulnerabilities ahead of the polls.

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Emoekpere added: “The ultimate objective is trust.

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Citizens must trust the technology, political actors must trust the process and election administrators must trust the infrastructure.

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“As electoral processes become digital, cybersecurity and data protection must be treated as fundamental components of election integrity rather than a technical afterthought.”

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The stakeholders consequently urged Nigeria to prioritise continuous testing, local capacity development and investment in electoral infrastructure ahead of 2027.

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