A civil society organisation, the Democratic Integrity Forum, DIF, has alleged that the conduct of the recent governorship election in Ekiti State exposed serious concerns about the neutrality and credibility of the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, warning that similar issues could undermine the integrity of the 2027 general elections.
The group made the allegations in a statement signed by its National Coordinator, Godwin Omini, on Monday.
According to the organisation, developments surrounding the off-season governorship election have raised questions about INEC’s ability to function as an independent electoral umpire.
The group specifically alleged that some INEC officials colluded with the ruling All Progressives Congress, APC, by facilitating the transfer of about 400,000 uncollected Permanent Voter Cards, PVCs, to the party.
It claimed that the PVCs were subsequently distributed to non-indigenes in a manner that compromised the electoral process and undermined the will of legitimate voters in the state.
“The weekend’s off-season governorship election in Ekiti State has once again brought to the fore serious concerns about the conduct and neutrality of the Independent National Electoral Commission,” the statement read.
The organisation argued that the alleged development reflected a troubling pattern of partiality capable of eroding public confidence in Nigeria’s electoral system.
The group also expressed concern over what it described as the unauthorised access to sensitive voter information.
It cited recent comments allegedly made by APC chieftain, Lere Olayinka, regarding an aspirant of the National Democratic Congress, NDC, claiming that the disclosure suggested that sensitive voter data may have been accessed through individuals linked to INEC.
According to the Forum, the possibility that political actors or government officials could obtain biometric and personal voter information ahead of elections poses a serious threat to the integrity, confidentiality and security of the electoral process.
The organisation warned that access to voter registers, polling unit data and other sensitive electoral information by partisan interests could create an uneven playing field and enable voter manipulation, suppression and inducement.
“When political parties or government officials are able to obtain voter registers, polling unit data, or other sensitive electoral information from INEC ahead of polls, it creates an uneven playing field,” the group stated.
“This not only enables targeted manipulation, voter suppression or inducement, but also compromises the secrecy and sanctity of the ballot.”
The Forum further argued that the alleged incidents in Ekiti were not isolated occurrences but indications of deeper systemic vulnerabilities within the nation’s electoral framework.
It warned that failure to address the concerns could significantly undermine the credibility of the 2027 general elections.
The group called on Nigerians, regardless of political affiliation, to demand thorough investigations into the allegations and urged INEC to demonstrate accountability by conducting a comprehensive audit of voter data access and PVC distribution processes in Ekiti State.
It also called for the prosecution of any electoral officials found culpable of partisan conduct.
In addition, the organisation urged the electoral commission to strengthen its data protection measures to prevent unauthorised access to sensitive voter information and implement reforms aimed at restoring public confidence in the electoral process.
“The credibility of our democracy hangs in the balance,” the statement said.
“We call on civil society organisations, the international community, the media and all well-meaning Nigerians to join in insisting that INEC upholds its constitutional mandate without fear or favour.”
The group maintained that anything short of decisive action would further erode trust in Nigeria’s electoral system and could pose a threat to democratic stability.
INEC has yet to respond to the allegations contained in the statement.
The APC has also not issued any official reaction to the claims as of the time of filing this report.
