THIS DAWN — Electoral fraud remains one of the most persistent threats to Nigeria’s democracy. Each election cycle renews public hope, yet also public anxiety: will the vote truly count?
The controversy surrounding the 2023 general elections demonstrated that technology alone is not a silver bullet, and that reforms delayed are often reforms denied.
If Nigeria is serious about delivering credible elections in 2027, decisive action must be taken now—legally, institutionally, technologically, and culturally.
Overturning strongly entrenched negative traits
First, Nigeria must close the loopholes that allow manipulation between the polling unit and final collation.
The introduction of the Bimodal Voter Accreditation System (BVAS) was a step forward, reducing multiple voting and impersonation.
However, its impact was undermined by the inconsistent and often delayed electronic transmission of results.
Making the electronic transmission of results via the INEC Result Viewing Portal (IReV) fully mandatory, in law and in practice, is critical.
Results should be uploaded directly from polling units in real time, leaving no space for the manual collation processes where most rigging historically occurs.
Anything less invites suspicion and post-election litigation.
Timely Amendment of Electoral Act
Second, amendments to the Electoral Act must be fast-tracked well ahead of 2027.
Nigeria has a habit of reforming its electoral laws too close to elections, creating confusion and weak implementation.
Civil society organisations and political stakeholders—including prominent opposition figures—are right to push for early legislative action.
Clear, unambiguous provisions on electronic transmission, technology failure contingencies, and enforcement mechanisms would help avoid a repeat of the disputes that followed the last polls.
Criminalising vote-buying, ballot snatching, others
Third, electoral offences must carry real consequences.
Vote-buying, ballot snatching, intimidation, and result manipulation have become normalised partly because perpetrators expect impunity.
Tougher penalties, combined with a functional and independent electoral offences prosecution framework, are essential.
This must be complemented by serious campaign finance monitoring to curb the flow of illicit money that fuels vote-buying at scale.
Making INEC truly independent
Fourth, INEC’s independence must be strengthened beyond rhetoric.
Merit-based appointments, greater security of tenure for key officials, and reduced executive influence would improve public confidence.
Reliance on poorly trained ad-hoc staff should be reduced in favour of a more professional, permanent electoral workforce.
An electoral umpire perceived as vulnerable to political pressure cannot command trust, regardless of the technology it deploys.
Social reforms
Finally, reforms must extend beyond institutions to citizens. Sustained voter education can reduce susceptibility to vote-buying and misinformation.
Polling environments must be secured through better coordination among security agencies, with strict neutrality enforced.
Equally important is transparency: real-time public access to results and independent monitoring by civil society and the media serve as powerful deterrents to fraud.
In the end, cutting electoral fraud in Nigeria is not about one reform, one technology, or one institution. It is about political will and timely action.
If these changes are implemented decisively and well before 2027, Nigeria can move closer to elections that reflect the will of the people—rather than the ingenuity of those determined to subvert it.
