Fresh concerns over electoral transparency have resurfaced ahead of Nigeria’s 2027 general elections, with an activist identified as Mundus calling on the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to publish detailed BVAS accreditation records alongside polling-unit results on its IReV platform.
In a social media post, Mundus argued that the electoral law is clear on over-voting, insisting that where the number of votes cast at a polling unit exceeds the number of accredited voters, the affected result should be cancelled.
He alleged that during elections conducted under former INEC Chairman Professor Mahmood Yakubu, there were instances where collation officers allegedly proceeded with results despite discrepancies between votes recorded and BVAS accreditation figures.
Mundus described the former INEC administration in highly critical terms and alleged that the commission failed to adequately respond to discrepancies in some results. The allegation is his own assessment and does not establish criminal wrongdoing by INEC or its officials.
Mundus specifically cited the November 2023 Kogi State governorship election, questioning the voting figures recorded in some local government areas.
He alleged that an LGA which had recorded turnout below 20 per cent in earlier 2023 elections subsequently recorded turnout of more than 94 per cent during the governorship election.
He further claimed that one political party obtained about 98 per cent of the votes in the affected area and that the LGA contributed nearly one-third of the total votes cast in the governorship contest.
He also questioned the use of what he described as non-BVAS devices in uploading roughly half of the results from the area.
Some independent analyses have previously raised concerns about discrepancies in the Kogi election data. An Athena Centre analysis using data obtained from INEC reported differences between BVAS-generated accreditation figures and figures appearing on various election forms. It reported that 786 of 3,508 polling units analysed were non-compliant based on differences between total votes cast and BVAS accreditation, while 2,722 polling units were classified as compliant using the centre's methodology.
A separate analysis by CDD Fact Check examined allegations of massive over-voting in parts of Kogi, including Okene and Okehi. It found that some widely circulated claims were false when compared with INEC's PVC and result figures, and concluded that the figures did not establish over-voting in those particular claims.
INEC also rejected allegations that accredited-voter figures uploaded to IReV during the Kogi election had been tampered with, saying the BVAS contained the most accurate and up-to-date accreditation data.
Section 51(2) of the Electoral Act 2022 states that where votes cast at a polling unit exceed the number of accredited voters, the presiding officer shall cancel the result of that polling unit.
However, the law also provides for consideration of whether the affected polling units could substantially affect the overall result. The applicable margin-of-lead provisions determine whether a fresh poll is necessary before a final return can be made.
The distinction is important because a discrepancy at an individual polling unit does not automatically mean that an entire election must be cancelled.
Mundus argued that Nigeria should go beyond simply uploading result sheets and make the underlying accreditation information available for public scrutiny.
He called on INEC to publish the electronic BVAS accreditation record on IReV alongside the polling-unit result and the Form EC8B generated at ward collation.
According to him, Nigerians should be able to compare three stages of the process: what BVAS recorded at accreditation, what was declared at the polling unit and what eventually appeared during ward-level collation.
The proposal reflects a broader debate over how technology can be used to make election manipulation more difficult and discrepancies easier to identify.
Civil society groups and election observers have similarly raised concerns about BVAS implementation, result transmission and transparency in previous elections. Yiaga Africa, for instance, documented cases during the 2023 Kogi election in which observers reported non-use of BVAS for accreditation at some polling units.
The debate over the Kogi election has therefore continued beyond the 2023 polls, with questions surrounding accreditation data, result forms, IReV uploads and the handling of disputed figures.
As preparations for 2027 intensify, the demand from Mundus is that INEC should make more of the underlying electronic election data publicly accessible so that voters, political parties, observers and journalists can independently compare accreditation records with declared results.
The proposal ultimately places transparency at the centre of the 2027 electoral debate, while any specific allegation of electoral malpractice would still require verification against official records and, where applicable, judicial findings.
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