Advocacy Groups Announce Pre-Summit Press Conference
Two election advocacy groups, MundX Analytics and Actizens Social Impact Foundation (ASIF), called on the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) and Nigerians to critically examine reported discrepancies in the voters' register and previously declared election results. The groups made the call on Friday during a joint pre-summit press conference held in Awka, Anambra State.
The conference formally announced the '2027 Election Evidence Summit,' which is scheduled to hold on November 30, 2026. The summit will focus on the roles citizens can play in preserving polling unit results as evidence for election tribunals and will examine the legal and technological possibilities of independently preserving these records.
Organizers stated that the event will bring together INEC, electoral candidates, civil society groups, legal practitioners, faith-based institutions, and citizens to address concerns regarding the integrity of upcoming polls.
Allegations of Voter Register Discrepancies
Mr. Martin Uwakwe of MundX Analytics presented specific data points during the press conference to illustrate the need for scrutiny. He highlighted a polling unit associated with Edo State Governor Monday Okpebholo that showed significant variance in registration numbers between elections.
According to Uwakwe, the polling unit had 397 registered voters during the 2024 governorship election but recorded 4,783 voters in the 2026 preliminary register. This represents an increase of approximately 1,105 percent.
Uwakwe stated that the summit will demand a documented explanation from INEC regarding this specific increase. He also expressed concern about suspicious voter photographs alleged to have been generated using artificial intelligence, noting recent revelations by the groups on the infiltration of INEC portals with AI-generated images attached to printed voter cards.
Challenges for Electoral Verification
Mr. Chidi Lucky Kanu, Executive Director of ASIF, examined records relating to the 2023 presidential election in Rivers State during the conference. He challenged stakeholders to subject findings from that period to rigorous scrutiny.
Kanu stated that Nigeria must strengthen mechanisms for preserving authentic polling-unit results for independent verification and lawful electoral dispute resolution.
The groups indicated that the upcoming summit would question the astronomical increase in registered voters in some wards, which they suspect are linked to politicians. The event aims to provide a platform for examining how citizens can effectively preserve evidence to support credible elections in 2027.