{
  "id": 18641458,
  "title": "2027: CSOs urge INEC to guarantee effective IReV portal",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/11/07/2027-csos-urge-inec-to-guarantee-effective-irev-portal",
  "topic": "world",
  "section": "World",
  "published": "2026-11-07T04:54:34.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "Daily Trust",
    "slug": "daily-trust",
    "url": "https://dailytrust.com/2027-csos-urge-inec-to-guarantee-effective-irev-portal/"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "Civil society organisations, along with other stakeholders, have urged the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to guarantee the smooth functioning of its Result Viewing Portal (IReV) during the 2027 general elections. They also called for intensified efforts in voter education and mobilization, particularly among young Nigerians, to tackle issues such as declining trust in the electoral process, challenges in collecting permanent voter cards (PVCs), and fears of electoral violence. This recommendation was made during the Second Stakeholder Roundtable on Voter Education and Youth Participation organized by Kimpact Development Initiative (KDI) in Abuja. The roundtable, themed \"Strengthening Youth Participation in Nigeria’s 2027 Elections: Voter Education, Participation Barriers, and Technology-Enabled Engagement,\" gathered representatives from various groups including INEC, NOA, NYSC, civil society organizations, youth groups, political parties, the media, and development partners. Despite the IReV's reasonable performance in the 2026 governorship elections in Ekiti and Osun states, the participants emphasized the need for stronger assurances of its reliability throughout the 2027 elections. They pressed for the platform's effectiveness, allowing citizens to view polling unit results. The stakeholders identified declining public confidence, difficulties in obtaining PVCs, insufficient voter education, and electoral violence as major factors deterring young people from participating in elections. They found that PVC collection was the most common concern raised by young Nigerians, followed by voter registration issues, vote buying, and other participation barriers. To monitor the implementation of electoral reforms, the YERP-Naija Reform Tracker was deployed in Ekiti and Osun states. Over 220 young Nigerians were trained and deployed across six geopolitical zones, submitting over 656 reports since October. PVC collection challenges accounted for 152 reports, while voter registration challenges made up 79 submissions. Accessibility barriers and digital PVC issues contributed to 18 reports. The stakeholders noted that some technical problems on INEC's digital platforms might be due to operational limitations and high traffic rather than intentional actions. They suggested that online voter registration platforms might face congestion when accessed by a larger population. Concerns were raised about the awareness of the application deadline for downloadable PVCs, which is 90 days before an election. Participants expressed worry that many Nigerians were unaware of this requirement until the deadline had passed, limiting their ability to benefit from the initiative. The meeting also emphasized the need for adequate funding and timely release of resources to INEC, stressing that financial support is crucial for effective electoral preparations and administration. The stakeholders urged for a year-round approach to civic and voter education, instead of limiting such programs to election periods. They also called for collaboration between INEC, NOA, and civil society organizations on voter education and get-out-the-vote campaigns, targeting issues affecting young people. The agencies were advised to engage social media influencers to expand the reach of voter education initiatives. The communiqué encouraged young Nigerians to mobilize their peers to participate in elections, safeguard their votes, and hold the electoral process accountable. It called for increased security measures for voters and a free electoral environment from intimidation and violence. Finally, the stakeholders advocated for stronger accountability mechanisms to protect the independence of public institutions and a call for political actors to promote genuine representation of young people rather than using them as political tools.",
  "summary": "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…",
  "key_points": [
    "INEC urged to ensure IReV portal's smooth operation in 2027 elections",
    "Voter education and mobilization emphasized for young Nigerians",
    "Need for adequate funding and year-round civic education stressed"
  ],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}