Certificate Forgery: IPAC Signs MoU With Forensic Institute

Nigeria’s political parties under the aegis of the Inter Party Advisory Council (IPAC) yesterday signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with Chartered Institute of Forensics and Certified Fraud Investigators of Nigeria (CIFCFIN) to eliminate the fielding of candidates with questionable credentials.

In his speech at the occasion, pioneer president and chairman governing council of CIFCFIN, Dr. Iliyasu Buba Gashinbaki, said the partnership between the Institute and IPAC is pursuant to the provisions of Section 29 (2 & 6) of the Electoral Act 2022, which mandates candidates to submit an affidavit affirming their eligibility and also outlines the disqualification of candidates with regards to falsification of documents, which leads to multiple of hundreds of electoral cases within the past 25 years since 1999.

He added that through the partnership, established protocols as approved by the IPAC General Assembly will be implemented across the 19 registered political parties in Nigeria.

The CIFCFIN president who commended the IPAC national chairman, Alh. Yusuf Dantalle, for his leadership and commitment to fostering transparency and integrity in Nigeria’s electoral processes, described the event as a significant collective effort to safeguard the integrity of Nigeria’s democracy.

Speaking on the established protocols for the IPAC-CIFCFIN partnership Gashinbaki said individual political parties will subject their candidates for forensic review and analysis, thus:

“Inclusion of Forensic Technologies in the Guidelines of Political Parties: All political parties will now integrate forensic analysis within their operational guidelines. This ensures that every document, credential, and piece of information associated with candidates is rigorously examined for authenticity and accuracy.

“Forensic Authentication of Candidate Credentials: Before primary elections, the credentials of all candidates will undergo thorough forensic authentication.

This process not only verifies the authenticity of documents but also ensures that any potential discrepancies are identified and addressed early, thereby preventing any form of electoral fraud.

“Reporting Back to Political Parties: A detailed forensic report will be generated and provided to political parties. This report will allow them to make informed decisions, ensuring that only candidates with verified and credible credentials proceed in the electoral process.”

To enhance the credibility and transparency of elections, he said the partnership will extend technical assistance to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), focusing on improving the entire electoral value chain; Voter Registration System; Voting Management System; Transmission of Results.

He said the partnership will guarantee the secure and accurate transmission of votes through real-time, encrypted systems that protect the data from tampering.

“This ensures that the results transmitted from polling units to central collation centres reflect the true will of the voters,” he noted.

He added that this collaboration between CIFCFIN and political parties will significantly elevate the standards of Nigeria’s electoral processes, fostering greater public trust and confidence.

“By adopting these forensic protocols, political parties are not only demonstrating their commitment to integrity and self-regulation but also setting a new benchmark for transparency in electoral processes.

“This will deter fraudulent activities and ensure that only genuinely qualified candidates contest in elections, which is crucial for the credibility and sustainability of our democracy,” he said.