E-transmission: Falana, Bugaje, Ezekwesili Say 2027 Polls’ Credibility At Risk

Some prominent Nigerians under the aegis of Movement for Credible Elections (MCE), a coalition of civic organisations, have declared that the credibility of the 2027 election is at risk if the reforms are not carried out by the National Assembly.

They therefore tasked the federal legislature to prioritise comprehensive electoral and constitutional reforms ahead of the general elections, warning that failure to do so could undermine public confidence and democratic stability.

The group made the call yesterday at a press conference in which it expressed concern over what it described as Nigeria’s growing political fragility driven by declining trust in the electoral process.

The position was endorsed by members of the MCE Steering Council and advisers, including Dr Usman Bugaje, Comrade Ayuba Wabba, Amb. Nkoyo Toyo, Hajia (Dr) Bilikisu Magoro, Barrister Femi Falana (SAN), Dr Oby Ezekwesili, Senator Shehu Sani and Professor Pat Utomi.

MCE said persistent challenges such as electoral violence, voter suppression, vote buying, weak logistics, selective deployment of technology, poor enforcement of electoral laws, and manipulation during result collation have become systemic across successive election cycles.

According to the coalition, without decisive reforms, the credibility of the 2027 elections remains at risk, with possible consequences including public disillusionment, resentment and erosion of democratic legitimacy.

Push for Mandatory Electronic Transmission Central to MCE’s demands is the amendment of the Electoral Act 2022 to make real-time electronic transmission of polling unit results to the Independent National Electoral Commission’s Result Viewing Portal (IREV) mandatory.

The group faulted the refusal of the National Assembly to explicitly legislate compulsory electronic transmission, arguing that the absence of clear provisions has enabled manual interference and manipulation between polling units and collation centres.

It called for the strengthening of sections of the Electoral Act relating to accreditation, result collation, transmission and declaration to eliminate ambiguities and reduce discretionary abuse.

Electoral Offences and INEC Independence

MCE also called for stricter and enforceable sanctions for electoral offences, including vote buying, voter intimidation, assault on election officials, destruction of election materials and falsification of results.

The coalition further demanded reforms to guarantee the operational independence of INEC, including timely release of funds, statutory protection for staff and safeguards against political interference in logistics, recruitment and deployment of personnel.

Technology Audit, Inclusion and Party Democracy

The group advocated a mandatory independent audit of INEC’s technological infrastructure, including the Bimodal Voter Accreditation System (BVAS), IREV, data storage and cybersecurity systems, to be conducted well ahead of the 2027 elections.

It also called for reforms to expand participation for women, youths, persons with disabilities and Nigerians in the diaspora, as well as early voting arrangements for security personnel and essential service providers.

On political parties, MCE urged stronger enforcement of internal party democracy, calling for amendments to Section 84 of the Electoral Act to compel transparent primaries and compliance with party constitutions and finance regulations.

Petitions, Defections and Judicial Interventions

MCE further proposed amendments to ensure the conclusion of all election petitions before elected officials are sworn into office, arguing that allowing disputed mandates undermines justice and electoral integrity.

It also aligned with calls to amend constitutional provisions to make political defections by elected officials grounds for automatic loss of office, followed by fresh elections.

In addition, the group called for legal limits on pre-election judicial interventions that disrupt electoral timelines and preparations.

Nationwide Mobilisation

The coalition announced plans to establish advocacy and mobilisation structures across the 36 states of the federation and endorsed nationwide civic actions, including a planned “Occupy NASS” protest, to press for the passage of electoral reforms.

MCE said electronic transmission of results should be complemented by verifiable safeguards, including the introduction of a Voters Verifiable Paper Audit Trail.