2027: Groups seek probe of voters’ register discrepancies

As Nigeria prepares for the 2027 general elections, MundX Analytics and Actizens Social Impact Foundation have called on the Independent National Electoral Commission and Nigerians to scrutinise reported discrepancies in the voters’ register and previously declared election results.

The organisations made the call at a joint pre-summit press conference held in Awka, Anambra State, on Friday.

The conference also announced the 2027 Election Evidence Summit, scheduled for November 30, 2026, with the theme, ‘2027 Elections: Can citizens preserve polling unit results as evidence for election tribunals?’

During a presentation, the Founder of MundX Analytics, Martin Uwakwe, highlighted what the organisation described as discrepancies in INEC’s recently published preliminary voters’ register.

One of the cases presented involved a polling unit associated with Edo State Governor, Monday Okpebholo.

According to MundX Analytics, the polling unit had 397 registered voters during the 2024 governorship election but recorded 4,783 voters in the 2026 preliminary register.

The organisation said the difference of 4,386 voters represented an increase of approximately 1,105 per cent.

Uwakwe questioned the circumstances surrounding the increase and called on INEC to provide a documented explanation.

His presentation also raised concerns about suspicious voter photographs, including images alleged to have been generated using artificial intelligence.

“INEC has acknowledged concerns surrounding suspicious photographs in the register, although the precise origin and authenticity of the questioned images remain subjects requiring investigation.

“MundX urged Nigerians and relevant electoral institutions to interrogate the available records rather than rely on speculation,” he said.

In another segment of the presentation, Uwakwe examined records relating to the 2023 presidential election in Rivers State.

Using graphical illustrations and comparative electoral data, MundX Analytics highlighted what it described as contradictions between selected polling-unit records and figures associated with INEC’s declared presidential election results.

The organisation called for an independent examination of the underlying records to establish the reasons for the reported discrepancies.

“We challenged INEC, electoral stakeholders, journalists and Nigerians to subject the findings to rigorous scrutiny.

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“The presentation did not constitute a judicial determination of electoral malpractice. The underlying records and interpretations remain open to independent verification and response from INEC,” he added.

Earlier, the Executive Director of Actizens Social Impact Foundation, Chidi Kanu, said Nigeria needed to strengthen mechanisms for preserving authentic polling-unit results for independent verification and the lawful resolution of electoral disputes.

Kanu said the credibility of an election depended not only on voting and counting but also on the integrity of records available when results were challenged.

He introduced NGelectionPolls Election Monitor, ASIF’s citizen-powered election observation initiative, which seeks to mobilise trained, non-partisan Eyewitness Reporters across polling units in the country.

He said, “The initiative will promote lawful election observation, documentation of polling-unit activities and preservation of authentic result-sheet evidence.

“Citizen-generated records must satisfy applicable legal requirements before they can be relied upon in election petitions. We also reaffirmed our non-partisan status and commitment to independent electoral accountability.”

The organisations said the November 30 summit would bring together electoral candidates, legal practitioners, civil society organisations, faith-based institutions, media representatives, technology experts and other stakeholders.

They said the summit would examine the legal and technological possibilities of independently preserving polling-unit results, including the conditions under which such records could be useful in election tribunals.

It would also feature further technical examinations of electoral records, demonstrations of NGelectionPolls and MundX Analytics, as well as discussions on nationwide citizen participation in election observation.

Ahead of the summit, ASIF and MundX said they would intensify stakeholder engagement, prepare technical presentations, consult election-law practitioners and finalise preparations for their respective technology demonstrations.

ASIF also plans to continue recruiting eligible voters interested in participating in its Eyewitness Reporter programme, subject to training, selection and applicable INEC accreditation requirements.

The organisations urged INEC, electoral candidates, civil society groups, legal practitioners, faith-based institutions and Nigerians interested in credible elections to participate in the summit.

They maintained that concerns about electoral data should be addressed through transparent explanations, authentic records and independent scrutiny.

The conference ended with a three-part message: “Before the election — Verify the voters. During the election — Observe the process. After the counting — Preserve the evidence.”