LAGOS, Nigeria (VOICE OF NAIJA) – Concerns are rising over the 2027 general elections following insider claims that powerful politicians are working to infiltrate and compromise the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).
Sources allege that the plan involves a multi-layered strategy, including producing duplicate result sheets, tampering with the Results Viewing Portal (IReV), and manipulating voter registration.
According to one senior INEC official, two sets of Form EC8 result sheets — from polling units to local governments — are being prepared. One set would be used publicly, while the second set would be deployed secretly to alter outcomes in key areas.
READ ALSO: Stakeholders Demand Electoral Reforms Ahead Of 2027 Elections
Civil society organisations say the allegations reinforce concerns raised during recent off-cycle elections in Edo, Ondo, and Kogi, where pre-prepared results were allegedly uploaded before voting ended and totals often exceeded accredited voter figures.
The credibility of INEC’s BVAS and IReV technologies once hailed as safeguards against rigging has also come under question amid these reports.
Meanwhile, attention is shifting to the leadership of INEC. Some influential politicians are said to be lobbying for a replacement for current Chairman Prof. Mahmood Yakubu, with a list of former commissioners and Resident Electoral Commissioners (RECs) in circulation.
Critics argue that many of those being considered have controversial records. They also point to constitutional breaches, noting that some recent appointments of commissioners by President Bola Tinubu bypassed the required consultation with the National Council of State (NCoS), even though the Senate later confirmed them.
Observers warn that without urgent corrective measures by the NCoS, civil society, and international partners, the 2027 elections risk becoming one of the most compromised in Nigeria’s history.