Elegbede Abiodun
• Cautions against the spread of misinformation in the electoral space.
Ahead of the 2027 general election, the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), yesterday, reaffirmed its exclusive constitutional mandate to collate and declare election results.
To ensure inclusive and credible elections next year, the United Kingdom High Commissioner in Nigeria, Richard Montgomery, and his deputy, Gill Lever, have visited political leaders and INEC officials.
Warning that emerging digital reporting tools must not undermine its authority, INEC cautioned against the spread of misinformation in the electoral space.
Chairman of the Information and Voter Education Committee, Sam Olumekun, gave the warning at the launch of the Situation Room Electoral Accountability Tracker (SEAT) in Abuja by the Nigeria Civil Society Situation Room.
Olumekun said while technology opened new frontiers for citizen engagement, it also presented risks that must be carefully managed. He reiterated that “INEC remains the only authority legally empowered to collate and declare election results”, stressing that initiatives such as the tracker should complement, not undermine, the commission’s constitutional role.
National Treasurer of Inter-Party Advisory Council (IPAC), Dr Dipo Olayoku, said political parties were increasingly concerned about developments in the electoral process, noting that present conditions could affect the competitiveness of the 2027 elections.
Speaking on the role of security agencies, the Commissioner of Police (CP) in charge of Election Planning, Monitoring and Evaluation, Abayomi Shogunle, said the Nigeria Police Force (NPF) would leverage the platform to enhance election monitoring and response.
Also speaking, Governance Adviser at the United Kingdom Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO), Ayibakuro Matthew, said “the initiative reflects a growing recognition that democratic accountability requires active citizen engagement” beyond election day.
He noted that the success of the platform would depend on trust, transparency and responsible use of information by all stakeholders.
THE UK High Commission, in a statement posted on its X handle yesterday, vowed to work with all contending political parties to ensure inclusive and credible elections.
“We look forward to working with all parties and the international community to support inclusive and credible elections,” the post added.
Those visited include the Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives, Benjamin Kalu; 2023 presidential candidates, Atiku Abubakar and Peter Obi, as well as INEC Chairman, Prof. Joash Amupitan.
The visits were about developments in Nigeria’s political and democratic processes.
