The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has announced that sensitive materials for the 2027 general elections, including ballot papers and result sheets, will be printed locally.
INEC National Commissioner, Mohammed Harun, disclosed this while speaking with Punch, explaining that the commission had inspected local printing companies and was satisfied with their capacity and security measures.
According to Harun, the printing of ballot papers and result sheets will take place shortly before the elections because of the sensitive nature of the materials.
He said the materials would subsequently be delivered to the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) for secure storage before being distributed for use during the elections.
“Everything is going to be printed locally. Sensitive materials, for us, are ballot papers and the result sheets, and we don’t print those ones early because they are sensitive.
“So, it’s fairly close to the election that we print and deliver them to CBN, and from there, they are normally collected and distributed in the presence of everybody, including civil society organisations, media, party agents,” Harun said.
The national commissioner noted that INEC had already commenced the procurement and production of non-sensitive election materials, including ballot boxes.
He added that the commission had also placed orders for important election equipment, including the Bimodal Voter Accreditation System (BVAS) machines, while banners were being produced to address expected shortages.
Harun maintained that local printers selected for the production of ballot papers had the required capacity to handle the assignment.
“Ballot papers are already set to be printed by local printers. We have local printers that are up to the capacity,” he stated.
However, he identified time constraints as one of the major challenges confronting INEC ahead of the 2027 elections.
“The problem is time,” Harun said.
He explained that the amended electoral law had shortened the period available for preparations from one year to six months, putting additional pressure on the commission.
“Last time, we got the money for the election in sufficient time, so we had sufficient time to plan. It is a little bit tighter this time around. You know very well the electoral law cut it down by six months. Instead of one year, now it’s six months,” he said.
Harun disclosed that INEC had already received part of the funds required for the elections and was working towards selecting printers for the different production contracts.
He also dismissed concerns over the security of locally printed election materials, citing the experience of the previous general election as evidence that local printers could meet the required standards.
“The last general election was a precedent. Did you hear any complaints? We didn’t have any issue with the printers,” he added.
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