Nigerian human rights attorney Martin Obono has highlighted the extremely concerning situation of Nigeria’s democratic process in a must-watch Arise News TV episode.
During the 2017 Edo State gubernatorial election, Obono, Executive Director of the TAP Initiative for Citizens Development, presented the results of his organization’s study into what appeared to be electoral fraud, revealing a system beset by anomalies and systemic malfeasance.
For both Nigerians and foreign stakeholders, this appalling exposé should be a clear call to action. It emphasizes how urgently the nation’s voting system has to be changed in order to preserve democratic integrity.
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The shocking claim that the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Nigeria’s electoral body, colluded to manipulate voters by printing duplicate result sheets that favored specific outcomes—which we now know were significantly skewed in favor of the All Progressives Congress (APC)—lays the foundation for TAP’s findings.
TAP’s analysis of the election results revealed differences between what INEC finally announced and what operatives on the ground documented, according to Obono.
According to TAP, INEC utilized phony Certified True Copies (CTCs) of results sheets that were startlingly different from the data on the Independent Results Viewing (IREV) platform and did not have the signatures of poll workers.
These extremely concerning disclosures cast doubt on INEC’s legitimacy while also exposing a larger pattern of institutional and political collusion in undermining the democratic will.
These discoveries have ramifications that go well beyond Edo State. If unchecked, these strategies might act as a risky model for future elections, eroding Nigerians’ already shaky faith in their political system, as Obono cautioned.
Vote-buying, voter repression, and election violence have plagued Nigeria for decades, but the scope and complexity of the alleged fraud in Edo State point to a concerning change.
As per TAP’s study, a new type of institutional manipulation intensified the usual electoral malpractices of ballot box snatching, vote-buying, and voter intimidation. This raises serious concerns regarding INEC’s impartial role as a facilitator of democracy.
Alleged misconduct by INEC is indicative of a lack of responsibility among political parties, the judicial system, and the commission itself. Party operatives, security personnel, and even opposition parties seemed to be either participating in or indifferent to the wrongdoing, according to TAP’s findings. This suggests a widespread culture of impunity. Nigerian voters would continue to be deprived of the ability to select their leaders if electoral offenders are not brought to justice, as Obono emphasized.
The newly amended Electoral Act of 2022, which included elements like the IREV platform to enhance openness, must be highlighted in addition to TAP’s results. The purpose of this law was to stop malpractice, but it has since been shown to have flaws. These improvements are insufficient without a strong enforcement system and transparent accountability from INEC. It is essential to take the step that TAP has suggested, which is to transfer the burden of proof on INEC. Candidates who run for office now have to demonstrate that their defeat was the result of fraud, which is a difficult and frequently impossible endeavor considering the systematic nature of electoral malfeasance. A revolutionary step in regaining public trust may be to require INEC to prove the integrity of its procedures.
Additionally, the results of TAP’s investigation highlight the necessity of conducting forensic audits of election records, using impartial organizations to confirm the papers’ legitimacy.
A precedent for accountability in subsequent elections could be established by preventing institutional rigging through such scrutiny.
Establishing procedures for keeping an eye on INEC’s actions and guaranteeing electoral openness requires cooperation between Nigerian civil society and international watchdogs.
This partnership shall examine INEC’s adherence to electoral laws through independent monitoring in addition to forensic audits.
The recent elections in Edo State have made clear how urgently substantial electoral reform is needed. A dangerous future awaits Nigerian democracy in the absence of accountability and openness. Nigerians should have the freedom and fairness to select their own leaders.
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Electoral integrity is a fundamental right of democratic administration, not a privilege. Time is critical, and the stakes are great. Civil society is now responsible for holding INEC accountable and for reforming it.
In order to stop future wrongdoing, the TAP Initiative’s conclusions ought to serve as a strong push for reform, requiring structural and procedural adjustments within INEC.
First, INEC needs to be given more evidence to prove its electoral credibility. Second, regular forensic auditing of electoral data must be mandated by law, and violations must be penalized.
Last but not least, INEC has to improve funding and training for transparency tools like IREV to make sure the platform works as a verifiable, real-time record of votes.
The Nigerian democracy’s future is at stake. The government and INEC must take advantage of this opportunity to implement revolutionary reforms that would promote a society free from institutional malfeasance and where the people’s will is respected. Only then can Nigeria hope to realize its long-held dream of democracy.
