Political economist and member of the Movement for Credible Elections, Prof. Pat Utomi, has called for the use of body cameras and live-streaming technology at polling units across Nigeria to strengthen transparency during the 2027 general elections.
Utomi made the call during an interview with ARISE News while discussing measures he believes could give Nigerians greater visibility into the voting and results-management processes.
“Body cams. Yeah. Live streaming from every polling booth in the country,” Utomi said.
The political economist also criticised any potential restriction on citizens, civil society organisations or other stakeholders using technology to independently document electoral proceedings.
“If anyone tells us that people can’t bring things to make elections transparent, then they are criminals who want the elections not to be transparent,” he said.
Utomi further warned that Nigerians could resort to stronger civic action if they believe institutional restrictions are preventing transparent elections.
His comments have generated discussion about the role technology could play in independently documenting voting and counting at polling units.
Utomi also stressed the importance of political parties deploying sufficient polling agents across the country.
He argued that parties without representatives at polling stations could be vulnerable to situations where results are recorded without their agents being present.
“A party that can’t have agents in all of the polling stations in the country is vulnerable to having results written where they are not present,” he said.
He consequently called for greater cooperation among opposition parties, including the sharing of resources to strengthen election monitoring.
The professor also urged Nigerians to become more conscious of their voting rights and participate actively in elections, arguing that greater voter awareness could make it more difficult for attempts to undermine votes to succeed.
INEC's published election procedures already provide for accredited journalists, observers and party agents to observe voting, counting and collation processes.
The commission says polling agents can observe voting and counting, raise concerns about irregularities and countersign result forms. Accredited observers and journalists are also permitted to observe the proceedings, subject to the applicable rules.
INEC's current regulations also provide for electronic transmission procedures involving the scanning and uploading of polling-unit result forms to the IReV portal.
The debate, therefore, is not only about whether election results should be electronically transmitted, but also about how much independent real-time documentation should be permitted at polling units and collation centres.
A 2025 Nigeria Civil Society Situation Room assessment similarly called for uninterrupted public livestreaming of collation at different levels and legal protection for accredited observers and party agents to record and broadcast proceedings.
Utomi's proposal comes as political parties, civil society organisations and electoral stakeholders intensify preparations and debate over safeguards for the 2027 elections.
His call for live streaming remains a proposal for electoral reform, while any changes to what citizens and accredited stakeholders may record or broadcast at polling units would have to operate within the electoral laws and regulations governing the 2027 polls.
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