Get Guardian on GoogleCSOs demand forensic audit of technology in INEC’s custody
The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has condemned the “rig and die” slogan being popularised by some political actors ahead of the 2027 general elections, warning that the phrase incites electoral violence and threatens innocent citizens.
However, it vowed that any electoral official, including ad hoc personnel, found to have compromised the electoral process would face the full weight of the law.
In the meantime, the national coalition of civil society organisations (CSOs) and election observers have demanded an independent forensic audit of INEC’s electoral technology over the alleged artificial intelligence-generated voters’ names and photographs.
The Chairman of INEC Information and Voter Education Committee, Mohammed Haruna, gave the warning in Enugu at a media engagement forum for newsmen and media executives from the South-East, South-South and South-West geopolitical zones.
Haruna cautioned politicians against inflammatory rhetoric and threats capable of endangering ordinary Nigerians engaged as presiding officers, ad hoc staff, party agents and election observers.
He stressed that disagreements over electoral outcomes should be resolved through lawful channels, including complaints to INEC, security agencies and the courts, rather than violence.
Describing the media as critical to electoral credibility, he said public confidence in the electoral process depends largely on the accuracy, fairness and professionalism of election reporting.
Consequently, he cautioned journalists against spreading misinformation, unverified results, manipulated videos, and inflammatory political narratives that can undermine public confidence and trigger violence.
Also, in a presentation on Ethical and Professional Standards in Election Reporting, Mr Osaretin Imahheyierobo urged journalists to familiarise themselves with the Electoral Act 2026, INEC’s election coverage guidelines and the Nigerian Broadcasting Code.
He regretted that many journalists covering elections were unfamiliar with the legislative and regulatory frameworks governing electoral reporting.
He also urged newsmen to understand INEC’s technological innovations, particularly the Bimodal Voter Accreditation System (BVAS) and INEC Result Viewing Portal (IReV), to avoid inaccurate reporting of the voting and result-management processes.
For his part, the Chairman of Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ), Enugu State Council, Obinna Ogbuka, commended INEC for the engagement but regretted that the initiative did not start early enough for more journalists to benefit from the training before the commencement of the election cycle.
The coalition, in a statement yesterday by the Chairman, National Coalition of INEC Consultative Partners, CSOs and Election Observer Groups in Calabar, Mr Stafford Bisong, urged President Bola Tinubu to establish an independent federal tribunal of inquiry to investigate the allegations and other irregularities capable of undermining the credibility of the 2027 general elections.
He expressed concern over reports of synthetic photographs, duplicate registrations and alleged questionable voter records discovered following INEC’s publication of its preliminary register on October 26, 2026.
Bisong noted that INEC had acknowledged identifying suspicious registration records, including photographs allegedly generated using AI, alleging that 268 records had been flagged for examination, alongside allegations that some registration officers abused official access credentials to introduce irregularities.
