The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has assured Nigerians that every valid vote will count in the 2027 general elections, promising to conduct a credible process that reflects the will of the people.

The assurance was given on Thursday by the Head of Voter Education and Publicity at INEC Kwara State, Dr Adejumo Peter, during a seminar organised by the Correspondents’ Chapel of the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ) in Ilorin.

Speaking at the event, Dr Peter said the electoral body would strictly follow its rules and procedures to ensure that the elections are free, fair and based on the principle of one person, one vote.

“INEC in Kwara will follow the rules and procedures as laid down by our commission. We will ensure that the elections are done on a one-man, one-vote basis. At the end of the exercise, the outcome of the elections will reflect the will of the people,” he said.

He also dismissed the belief that collecting or hoarding Permanent Voter Cards (PVCs) could influence election results, saying technological improvements had made such tactics ineffective.

“INEC has done a lot so that people cannot use another person’s PVC to vote in an election. That is why politicians have resorted to vote-buying. Many of them are still living in the past because stockpiling PVCs cannot guarantee electoral victory,” he said.

The INEC official urged political parties and candidates to focus on issue-based campaigns instead of violence.

He advised them to present their programmes to voters and allow the electorate to make informed choices.

“Political parties and their candidates should obey the rules, focus on selling their manifestoes to voters and avoid any form of violence before, during and after the elections. Elections should be conducted peacefully, and everyone should respect the outcome,” he said.

Also speaking at the seminar, the Head of INEC’s Legal Unit in Kwara State, Atata Abdulfatai, described the amended Electoral Act 2026 as a major step towards strengthening Nigeria’s democratic process ahead of the 2027 elections.

According to him, the new law introduces reforms aimed at improving transparency, promoting internal democracy within political parties, and expanding the use of technology in elections.

Ladipo Johnson, a spokesman for Rabi’u Kwankwaso, has said the presidential candidate of the Nigeria Democratic Congress, NDC, Peter Obi, is not happy over a growing leadership dispute within the campaign bloc, OK Movement.

Johnson made this assertion during an interview on Arise Television, acknowledging that tensions had surfaced within the Movement.

He, however, described the situation as a temporary setback rather than a major threat to its political objectives, adding that the disagreement has become a distraction at a time when supporters are expected to focus on strengthening the structure of the Movement across the country.

According to him, the dispute stemmed from differences between some members and the leadership of the Movement, warning against actions capable of creating divisions among supporters of the proposed Obi-Kwankwaso alliance.

Johnson warned that such developments could weaken efforts aimed at building a strong political alternative ahead of the 2027 polls.

He further revealed that Peter Obi had already been briefed on the situation and was displeased by the ongoing disagreement.

“Yes, we have, may I call it a distraction at the moment. It is not such, in my own humble opinion, that would lead you to take unilateral actions that could possibly scuttle or bring bad blood within the support base of the person you purportedly want to become the president of the country.

“I saw the presidential candidate last night along with the DG. He’s not happy about the whole situation,” he said.