By: Goodluck E. Adubazi, Abuja.
The Nigeria Civil Society Situation Room has warned that Nigeria’s 2027 general elections may be undermined by restricted political competition, insecurity, abuse of incumbency, misuse of public resources and declining public confidence in electoral institutions.
The coalition also warned that credible elections cannot be guaranteed unless political parties are allowed to compete freely, citizens are protected from intimidation, electoral institutions remain independent and every valid vote is accurately counted.
The Situation Room raised the concerns in a statement issued on Thursday, November 5, 2026, as preparations intensify for the 2027 general elections, with the presidential and National Assembly elections scheduled for January 16, while governorship and State Houses of Assembly elections will be held on February 6, 2027.
It said developments preceding election day would be as consequential to electoral credibility as the actual voting, counting and collation processes.
The statement, presented by Situation Room co-conveners Celestine Odo and Mma Odi, alongside Programme Manager, Agianpe Onyema and Austin Aigbe, identified eight critical areas requiring urgent national attention.
These include political party crises and shrinking political space, inflammatory rhetoric and election-related violence, implementation of the Electoral Act 2026, INEC’s independence and preparedness, abuse of incumbency and vote-buying, judicial resolution of electoral disputes, disinformation and artificial intelligence, as well as citizens’ participation and inclusion.
In political competition, the coalition expressed concern over persistent leadership disputes, contentious party primaries, defections and litigation involving major opposition parties, including the African Democratic Congress (ADC) and the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).
It warned that unresolved internal party crises, exclusionary nomination processes and alleged interference in opposition activities could undermine democratic choices and weaken public confidence.
The organisation also expressed concern over allegations of intimidation and difficulties encountered by opposition parties in securing public facilities for political gatherings.
It further questioned the affordability of campaign advertising following reports of exorbitant billboard fees imposed by some state governments, warning that such charges could disadvantage candidates and political parties without access to substantial financial resources.
On electoral security, the Situation Room cited a Cleen Foundation election security threat assessment, which reportedly documented 70 physical election-related incidents across 19 states and the Federal Capital Territory between January 1 and October 27, 2026, resulting in 27 fatalities across 20 incidents.
It identified political rallies, party conventions, primaries and campaign activities as major targets of violence, warning that the trend could worsen as the election approaches.
Regarding the Electoral Act 2026, the coalition called on the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to provide clear operational guidelines on electronic transmission of polling unit results and procedures to be followed where communication failures occur.
It stressed that provisions allowing the use of prescribed Form EC8A where electronic transmission fails must not become loopholes for manipulation or arbitrary alteration of results.
According to the coalition, INEC must explain how communication failures will be established and documented, how polling unit results will be preserved and how electronic transmission records will be reconciled with physical result forms.
It also called for transparency in the relationship between BVAS accreditation data, polling unit results, electronic publication and collation procedures.
On the independence of INEC, the Situation Room acknowledged the Commission’s preparations but insisted that public confidence would depend on measurable readiness, transparent communication and safeguards against institutional compromise.
It urged the Senate to subject nominees for electoral leadership positions to rigorous scrutiny, particularly where credible concerns have been raised about their impartiality and independence.
The coalition specifically referenced concerns surrounding the nomination of Professor Mustapha Ali and alleged family connections with the Sokoto State Governor, stressing that such relationships do not automatically establish partisanship but deserve proper examination during the confirmation process.
On abuse of incumbency, the organisation warned against the deployment of public funds, government institutions, security agencies and other state resources for partisan political advantage.
It called on INEC, the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) and the Nigeria Police Force to strengthen monitoring and enforcement against vote-buying, illicit campaign financing and misuse of public resources.
The coalition also urged the judiciary to ensure timely, consistent and transparent resolution of pre-election disputes, warning that prolonged litigation and delayed judgments could create uncertainty over candidates’ status and undermine election preparations.
On emerging digital threats, the Situation Room expressed concern over misinformation, disinformation, manipulated images, fabricated political statements and the misuse of artificial intelligence to influence public opinion.
It warned that AI-generated audio, images and videos could be deployed to misrepresent candidates, spread false election announcements, intimidate political actors and manipulate public perception.
The organisation further called for stronger measures to guarantee the participation of women, young people, persons with disabilities and other vulnerable groups, noting that insecurity, economic hardship and inaccessible polling units could discourage eligible citizens from voting.
In its recommendations, Situation Room urged INEC to regularly publish updates on its preparedness, clarify safeguards for electronic transmission and collation, explain controversial internal redeployments and provide details of any additional polling units.
It also called on the National Assembly to ensure transparent screening of electoral nominees, political parties to uphold internal democracy and security agencies to provide impartial protection for candidates, journalists, observers and voters.
Other demands include strict enforcement against vote-buying, responsible management of electoral information by media organisations and technology platforms, and greater civic participation by citizens.
The coalition urged Nigerians to verify electoral information, reject inducement and intimidation, obtain their Permanent Voter Cards and participate peacefully in the electoral process.
It maintained that the credibility of the 2027 elections must be secured long before election day, warning that Nigeria cannot afford an electoral process in which democratic freedoms are weakened, political competition is restricted and institutional failures erode public confidence.
“Credible elections cannot emerge from an environment in which political competition is restricted, insecurity persists, citizens’ participation is undermined, public resources are misused and valid votes are not accurately counted,” the Situation Room warned.
