Utomi Raises The Alarm Over Electoral Act Manipulation

The leader of a civil society coalition, operating under the aegis of the Movement for Credible Elections (MCE), Professor Pat Utomi has raised alarm over what he described as alleged manipulations of the 2026 Electoral Act ahead of the 2027 general elections, warning that the development could threaten Nigeria’s democracy.

Speaking at a media conference on Sunday at the Centre for Values in Leadership, leader of the group, Utomi, said recent developments suggest “reckless desperation by those in power.”

Utomi said the group was compelled to speak out as “darkness threatens to envelop us through manipulations of the 2026 Electoral Act ahead of the 2027 elections.”

“It is with a solemn sense of duty and call of citizenship that we address you as darkness threatens to envelop us through manipulations of the 2026 Electoral Act ahead of the 2027 elections, which reveal a reckless desperation by those in power, whose every move suggests fear of the electorate at the ballot box,” he said.

However, the group alleged that constitutional violations were escalating and warned that the country’s democratic system could face serious consequences if the trend continued.

“Given the feverish level at which the constitution is being violated and INEC appears to be playing the script of the APC and the Presidency, if voices of reason are not heard now and this current mischief is allowed to continue, we may witness collapse of our desired democracy and the erosion of the legitimacy of the state,” Utomi stated.

Similarly, he raised concerns over declining voter participation, noting that voter apathy could trigger instability if citizens lose faith in the electoral process.

“Inclination to vote, as the recent Abuja elections show, is now below 10 per cent of those registered to vote. Once the people decide their vote is pointless, the stage is set for ‘voting’ with their feet and ways of violence,” he said.

Utomi added that the group would challenge any alleged abuse of the electoral process through civic mobilisation and legal means.

“Our goal today is not only to put decision makers on notice that we shall contest every abuse in the court of public opinion and mobilize social resistance… In spite of widespread belief that the judiciary is compromised and complicit, we shall also go to the courts of law,” he said.

Additionally, the coalition unveiled several initiatives aimed at ensuring credible elections in 2027, including the establishment of independent result viewing platforms to mirror the official portal of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).

According to the group, party agents will upload photographed copies of Form EC8A to the platforms for immediate transmission to dashboards accessible to both local and international media organisations.

The MCE also said it plans to recruit and train “vote marshals” drawn from retired military and police personnel who would be deployed to polling units across the country to help safeguard the voting process.

The coalition said it would embark on massive voter education campaigns to tackle voter apathy and encourage citizens to actively protect their votes during elections.

The group further called on civil society organisations, religious bodies, and the Nigerian diaspora to mobilise citizens and draw global attention to developments in Nigeria’s electoral system.

Utomi urged elder statesmen and traditional leaders to intervene to safeguard democratic norms, mentioning figures such as Emeka Anyaoku, Olu Falae, and Femi Okurounmu.

“To ensure Nigeria is not pushed into the politics of power erosion that will suffocate the legitimacy of the state, we urge an immediate review of the doctored electoral acts, a change of course, or instant resignation of the INEC leadership, and a return to the path of transparency in public choice,” he said.

He warned that the country must learn from history, noting that conditions threatening democracy today could reverse gains made since the end of military rule.

“It is a troubling specter to watch a people who forget so quickly the democracy some of us put our lives on the line for is as threatened today as it was then,” Utomi added.