Former Vice-President Atiku Abubakar has questioned the continued use of Android 10 on the Independent National Electoral Commission’s Bimodal Voter Accreditation System ahead of the 2027 general elections.
Atiku raised the concern on Tuesday, August 11, 2026, following the disclosure by INEC’s Director of Information and Communication Technology, Lawrence Bayode, that BVAS devices currently operate on Android 10.
The disclosure came amid concerns over the performance of the devices during the mock accreditation exercise conducted in Osun State on Saturday, August 1, ahead of the governorship election scheduled for Saturday, August 15, 2026.
Atiku questioned why INEC had not upgraded the BVAS software before the 2027 elections or used the forthcoming off-cycle polls to test an updated version.
“Why INEC with its humongous budget cannot update the BVAS software long before the 2027 general elections or even before the series of off-season elections like the Osun State governorship election during which the updated version would have been test run,” he said.
The former vice-president expressed concern that using an old operating system for critical electoral infrastructure could expose the system to cybersecurity vulnerabilities.
“Running critical national infrastructure on an end-of-life operating system creates a broad attack surface,” Atiku said.
He also called for an independent examination of the technology before the 2027 elections, insisting that both the software and hardware should undergo comprehensive scrutiny.
“To safeguard election integrity, it is vital to perform an independent, comprehensive code and hardware audit of the BVAS devices,” he said.
Atiku’s concerns centre on the reported use of Android 10, an operating system released by Google in 2019, on devices that will play a major role in Nigeria’s electoral process.
BVAS is used by INEC to verify voters biometrically at polling units and has become a central component of Nigeria’s efforts to strengthen the credibility of elections.
The system was introduced into Nigeria’s electoral process in 2021 and was deployed extensively during the 2023 general elections.
However, INEC has rejected any suggestion that the use of Android 10 automatically renders BVAS insecure.
Bayode explained that the commission had added its own security measures to the devices instead of relying solely on the protection provided by the Android operating system.
“Apart from the security that came with Android 10, we are also deploying our own security to secure the BVAS system,” Bayode said.
The position means that while Atiku is questioning the age and security implications of the operating system, INEC maintains that additional safeguards have been deployed to protect the technology.
The controversy comes at a critical point in Nigeria’s electoral calendar, with the Saturday, August 15 Osun governorship election providing another major test of the commission’s technological preparedness.
Atiku’s demand for an independent audit is therefore not limited to the Osun election but is directed principally at ensuring that the technology is adequately tested and secured before the larger 2027 electoral exercise.
The former vice-president argued that waiting until the general elections before addressing potential technological weaknesses could undermine public confidence in the electoral process.
He urged INEC to use the period before 2027 to identify vulnerabilities, update its systems and subject the BVAS technology to independent scrutiny.
The debate also highlights the growing importance of cybersecurity in Nigeria’s electoral process as technology becomes increasingly central to voter accreditation and election management.
While there is currently no established evidence that BVAS has been compromised because it operates on Android 10, Atiku’s warning has placed the software architecture of the system under renewed public scrutiny.
With the 2027 elections approaching, the key question is whether INEC will upgrade the operating system, conduct the independent audit requested by Atiku or continue with its existing security architecture.
For Atiku, the priority is ensuring that Nigeria enters the 2027 elections with an electoral system that is not only functional but also technologically secure and capable of commanding public confidence.