MCE ENDORSES THE POPULAR DEMAND BY NIGERIANS FOR CRITICAL AND MANDATORY ELECTORAL AND POLITICAL REFORMS FOR CREDIBLE ELECTIONS IN 2027

February 9, 2026 admin 0 Comments

TEXT OF A WORLD PRESS CONFERENCE ADDRESSED BY MOVEMENT FOR CREDIBLE ELECTIONS, MCE ON THE 2027 ELECTIONS ON MONDAY, 9TH FEBRUARY, 2026 AT LAGOS AIRPORT HOTEL, IKEJA, LAGOS

Gentlemen of the Press,

Ladies and Gentlemen!

MCE ENDORSES THE POPULAR DEMAND BY NIGERIANS FOR CRITICAL AND MANDATORY ELECTORAL AND POLITICAL REFORMS FOR CREDIBLE ELECTIONS IN 2027

…to establish advocacy and mobilization structures in all 36 States of the Federation ahead of the 2027 General Elections

….endorse nationwide civic actions and protests against the National Assembly over stalled and weakened electoral reforms

Preamble

The Movement for Credible Elections MCE, inaugurated at the National Summit on Electoral Reforms held on 11 November 2025 in Abuja, is deeply concerned about Nigeria’s growing political fragility. This fragility is driven largely by citizens’ declining trust in the credibility of elections and the repeated failure of the electoral system to reflect the true will of voters.

Across successive electoral cycles, Nigerians have witnessed the same troubling patterns. These include electoral violence, voter suppression, vote buying, weak logistics, selective deployment of technology, poor enforcement of electoral laws, manipulation during collation, and the open circumvention of voters’ choices. These problems are no longer isolated incidents.

They have become systemic and without decisive constitutional /electoral reforms, the credibility of the 2027 General Elections is seriously at risk. The consequences will be deeper public disillusionment, growing public resentment and further erosion of democratic legitimacy, opening doors to political instability

It is for this reason that MCE, a national coalition of civic groups and citizens, formally calls on the leadership of the National Assembly, both the Senate and the House of Representatives, to prioritize far reaching and non negotiable reforms in the ongoing harmonization of electoral reform bills ahead of the 2027 elections

Key Areas of Concern and Required Electoral Reforms for the 2027 Elections:

1. Strengthening the Electoral Act 2022

Civic groups are united in calling for targeted amendments to the Electoral Act 2022 to close loopholes that weaken transparency and accountability. In particular, provisions dealing with accreditation, result collation, transmission, and declaration of results must be clarified and strengthened to remove discretion that enables abuse.

The current ambiguity in sections dealing with result management has been exploited to justify manual interference after polling unit results are known.

2. Mandatory Electronic Transmission of Results

The most contentious issue remains the refusal of the National Assembly to make electronic transmission of results mandatory.

MCE demands the amendment of the Electoral Act 2022, especially the provisions relating to collation and transmission of results, to explicitly require real time electronic transmission of polling unit results to the INEC Result Viewing Portal IREV. This transmission must be mandatory, immediate, and non negotiable.

The removal or dilution of this provision is seen by civic groups as a deliberate attempt to preserve opportunities for manipulation between the polling unit and final collation centres, to rig elections and undermine the public will.

3. Strict Sanctions for Electoral Offences

Sections of the Electoral Act dealing with electoral offences must be strengthened to impose clear, deterrent penalties for vote buying, voter’s intimidation, assault on election personnel, destruction of election materials, and falsification of results.

Beyond penalties on paper, the law must create enforceable mechanisms that ensure investigation and prosecution, including coordination with security agencies and the judiciary.

4. Strengthening INEC’s Institutional Independence

MCE demands amendments to the Electoral Act and relevant constitutional provisions to guarantee INEC’s operational independence.

This includes timely release of funds, statutory protection for INEC staff, and safeguards against political interference in logistics, recruitment, and deployment of personnel.

Independence must go beyond theory and be reflected in daily operations.

5. Independent Audit of Electoral Technology

The law must mandate a full and independent audit of INEC’s technological infrastructure, including BVAS, IREV, data storage systems, cybersecurity architecture, and backup mechanisms.

Such audits should be conducted by credible independent experts and concluded well ahead of the 2027 elections to prevent last minute excuses and system failures.

6. Inclusive Electoral Participation

MCE calls for reforms that expand participation for groups historically excluded from governance. This includes legislative measures to promote the participation of youth, women, and persons with disabilities to allow diaspora voting and early voting for security personnel, health workers, and other essential service providers on election day.

7. Enforcement of Internal Party Democracy

Amendments to Section 84 of the Electoral Act must go beyond procedural compliance and compel political parties to conduct transparent primaries, respect their constitutions, and comply with party finance regulations.

Sanctions for violations must be clear and enforced without selective application.

8. Resolution of Election Petitions Before Swearing In

The Electoral Act and relevant constitutional provisions must be amended to ensure that all election petitions are concluded before winners are sworn into office.

Allowing disputed mandates to be exercised while cases drag on undermines justice and rewards electoral malpractice.

9. Completion of Result Verification Before Declaration

INEC must be legally required to complete all verification and validation processes, including reconciliation of electronically transmitted results with polling unit records, before declaring final outcomes.

Premature declarations have been a major source of post election conflict.

10. Ending Pre Election Judicial Interference

The law must clearly limit the issuance of court orders that disrupt the electoral process before voting takes place.

While access to justice remains important, judicial interventions that derail election preparations or alter timelines at the last minute have repeatedly undermined credibility.

11. Addressing Political Defections

MCE aligns with the popular demand to amend Sections 68 and 109 of the Constitution to make defections by elected officials grounds for automatic loss of office, followed by fresh elections, without tenure extension.

The current abuse of defections has distorted voter mandates and weakened party accountability.

12. Democratic Appointment of INEC Leadership

Civic groups demand reforms to the constitutional provisions governing the appointment of the INEC Chairman and National Commissioners.

Appointments should follow a transparent, merit based, and participatory process, including public advertisement of vacancies, screening by an independent committee drawn from professional and civic bodies, public interviews, and final confirmation by the National Assembly after open hearings, as proposed by the Justice Uwais Report.

This is essential to restore confidence in INEC’s neutrality.

Conclusion

As the vanguard of collective civic action for credible elections in 2027, MCE calls on partners, allies, and citizens to participate in the Occupy NASS protest scheduled for Monday 9 February 2026.

This mobilisation is a peaceful defence of the popular will and a clear rejection of any attempt to return Nigeria to manual manipulation and backroom result fabrication.

Finally, MCE affirms that electronic transmission must be complemented by verifiable safeguards that allow results transmitted electronically to be cross checked with polling unit records. The introduction of a Voters Verifiable Paper Audit Trail, as practised in India, should be explored.

Democracy dies when votes are stolen. It is time to end electoral rigging in Nigeria.

This Position is Endorsed by the following Conveners and Leaders of the Steering Council of the MCE listed below:

SIGNED

1. Dr Usman Bugaje

2. Comrade Ayuba Wabba

3. Amb Nkoyo Toyo

4. ⁠Hajia (Dr) Bilikisu Magoro

5. Comrade Promise Adewusi, mni – Director of Administration

6. ⁠ Comrade Ene Obi – Director of Mobilisation (CS)

7. ⁠HC Peter Ameh – Director of Mobilisation – (PP)

8. ⁠ Engr Alex Ardum – Director of Mobilisation (NC)

9. ⁠Barr Malachy Ugwumadu – Director, Legal