The commission disclosed this on Thursday during the second stakeholders’ roundtable on voter education and youth participation, organised by Kimpact Development Initiative (KDI) under its YERP-Naija project in Abuja.
INEC’s Deputy Director of Voter Education, Mrs Paula Iwenjiora, who represented the Director of Voter Education, Mrs Etta-Messi, acknowledged that the commission’s handling of the 2023 presidential election contributed to the loss of public confidence.
She attributed some of the challenges to the heavy traffic experienced on the commission’s website during the presidential poll, but maintained that improvements were subsequently made ahead of the governorship elections.
Iwenjiora admitted that INEC had fallen short of public expectations, noting that the commission understood why Nigerians remained sceptical about its electoral processes.
She said: “I don’t blame people because we have a deficit of trust because of what happened the last time. Everybody blames INEC, and it is okay to blame us because we made promises, but it looked as though we failed to fulfil them.
“In the 2023 presidential election, there was so much load on the website. If we did not get it right in that election, I think we worked on it to get it right in the second, the governorship election. Unfortunately, a particular event made people lose hope. But I don’t want people to lose hope.”
The INEC official expressed optimism about the commission’s direction under its current chairman, Prof Joash Amupitan (SAN), saying he had demonstrated commitment to improving the electoral system since assuming office.
According to her, the chairman has been working closely with national commissioners, directors and other staff members to ensure that the commission delivers on its responsibilities.
Iwenjiora also highlighted INEC’s efforts to expand voter education through campus debates and partnerships with civil society organisations, religious institutions and community-based groups.
She stressed that the commission could not effectively reach every part of the country without the support of development partners and other stakeholders, commending KDI for its contribution to grassroots civic education.
Urging young Nigerians to translate their online political discussions into practical electoral participation, she said social media engagement alone could not influence election outcomes.
“Votes cannot be counted on social media. Your PVCs cannot be counted on social media. If you don’t come out as a youth, if you’re not interested, that’s your future you’re giving over to somebody else,” she said.
She further encouraged young people to join political parties, express their opinions and participate in decisions affecting their communities, warning that their absence from political spaces would limit their representation.
On concerns about voter safety and possible electoral violence, Iwenjiora said INEC was collaborating with security agencies, including the Nigeria Police Force, the military and the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps, to strengthen election security.
She explained that the security arrangement operated from the national level in Abuja down to local government areas, with police personnel deployed to polling units to respond to potential incidents.
The deputy director also disclosed that technology, including drones, would be deployed to monitor electoral offences such as vote-buying.
She said the initiative would help identify offenders and provide evidence of electoral misconduct.
Addressing complaints over difficulties in collecting Permanent Voter Cards (PVCs), Iwenjiora explained that the distribution process was being carried out in batches, covering newly registered voters and those captured during previous registration exercises.
She clarified that the unavailability of a card at a particular local government office did not necessarily mean it would not be issued, advising affected registrants to continue checking with INEC.
Drawing on her experience at the local government level, she observed that many registered voters failed to collect their PVCs despite repeated awareness campaigns by the commission.
She recalled that INEC had previously enlisted the support of traditional rulers, community leaders, politicians, churches and mosques to encourage eligible voters to collect their cards.
Earlier, KDI Executive Director, Bukola Idowu, said credible elections required strong democratic institutions and meaningful citizen participation, particularly among young people.
He identified declining public confidence in institutions, misinformation, economic difficulties, electoral insecurity and inadequate voter education as major factors discouraging youth participation in elections.
Idowu urged young Nigerians not to allow disappointment or distrust to undermine their involvement in the democratic process.
“To Nigeria’s young people, my message is clear: do not allow frustration, distrust or disappointment to silence your voice.
“Get informed, register and collect your PVCs where necessary, engage with the issues, demand accountability, challenge misinformation, and turn out peacefully to vote,” he said.
Also speaking, the Resident Country Director of the National Democratic Institute (NDI) in Nigeria, Francis Madugu, said the country had 72 days from November 5 to the presidential election scheduled to commence the 2027 general election cycle.
He explained that the YERP-Naija initiative, launched in 2024, was established to sustain electoral awareness between the 2023 and 2027 election cycles and promote greater youth involvement in the democratic process.
Madugu disclosed that the initiative had recruited and virtually trained youth volunteers across all 109 senatorial districts, with the volunteers already undertaking peer-to-peer voter education and awareness campaigns across the 774 local government areas, the 36 states and the Federal Capital Territory.
Reflecting on the 2023 presidential election, he said only about 27 per cent of registered voters participated, describing the low turnout as a significant concern for the country’s democratic development.
He warned that young Nigerians who abstained from elections risked diminishing their collective influence on government policies, leadership choices and national priorities.
The stakeholders called for sustained voter education, stronger institutional accountability and increased youth participation as Nigeria prepares for the 2027 general elections.
