By Cross Udo, Abuja
A coalition of accredited civil society and community-based organisations has demanded tougher safeguards against vote buying and electoral fraud ahead of the 2027 general elections.
They warned Nigerians against electing “mediocre” leaders with questionable integrity.
The coalition, operating under the umbrella of the Civil Society Organisations on Community Advancement and Humanitarian Empowerment Initiative, said credible elections would depend largely on transparency, accountability, and urgent reforms by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).
Speaking during a media briefing in Abuja on Tuesday, the Director-General and National Project Convener of the group, Kunle Yusuff, urged INEC to immediately strengthen its electoral technology architecture and restore public trust in the voting process.
According to him, the commission must begin early audits and stress tests of the Bimodal Voter Accreditation System (BVAS) and the INEC Result Viewing Portal (IReV) well ahead of the elections.
“INEC must strengthen electoral technology and transparency by conducting early audits and stress-tests of IReV and BVAS/BVAR, publish results of mock tests, and establish fallback protocols for real-time transmission,” Yusuff said.
He further urged the commission to release “a clean and auditable voter register at least 90 days before the election.”
The coalition raised concerns about what it described as the growing menace of vote-buying, political violence, and misinformation, insisting that security agencies, anti-corruption bodies, and election monitors must work together to curb electoral malpractice.
“Deploy joint INEC-security-CSO taskforces in flashpoint local government areas 30 days before the election. Work with EFCC, ICPC, and CBN to monitor suspicious campaign financing and enforce the ban on unauthorised party agents near polling units,” Yusuff stated.
The group also demanded reforms in the recruitment and training of ad hoc electoral personnel, calling for a transparent, merit-based system.
“Use a merit-based public portal for recruitment, conduct scenario-based training, and ensure timely payment of allowances,” he added.
On voter inclusion, the coalition called for expanding accessible polling units for persons with disabilities and internally displaced persons, and for piloting diaspora voting in five countries.
The organisations further pledged to intensify voter education campaigns in local languages through community-based networks across the country.
Warning against actions that could undermine confidence in the electoral process, Yusuff said Nigerians were no longer willing to tolerate opaque elections.
“Nigerians do not expect perfection, but they expect honesty, transparency, and visible effort to fix problems. INEC’s greatest risk in 2027 is not technology, but the perception that the outcome is predetermined before voting begins,” he said.
Speaking on the coalition’s proposed “Nigeria First” political agenda ahead of 2027, Yusuff said the initiative would prioritise accountability, issue-based campaigns, and competence over blind party loyalty.
“The summit will create a platform to assess candidates and manifestos based on capacity, integrity, and alignment with Nigeria’s needs, not party loyalty,” he stated.
He said the coalition would organise debates for presidential, governorship, National Assembly, State Assembly, and local government candidates nationwide.
“They must explain how their manifestos address SDGs, climate action, climate financing, and how they will deliver democratic dividends quickly. Enough is enough of having professional destitutes in office,” he declared.
The coalition also commended the country’s current security architecture under the leadership of the National Security Adviser, Nuhu Ribadu, citing gains recorded against terrorism and banditry.
According to the organisations, more than 13,500 terrorists and criminals had been neutralised, while over 124,000 Boko Haram and ISWAP fighters, alongside their families, had surrendered.
The groups also cited over 775 terrorism-related convictions and the rescue of more than 11,250 kidnap victims in Zamfara and Kaduna states.
Reaffirming their commitment to credible elections, the coalition pledged continued collaboration with INEC, security agencies, and political actors to ensure free, fair, and peaceful polls in 2027.
“Our focus is clear: Nigeria First,” Yusuff said.
