An election expert, Austin Aigbe, says Nigeria’s preparations for the 2027 general elections must prioritise public trust, transparency and accountability to ensure credible polls.

Mr Aigbe stated this in his assessment of the Stakeholder Performance Scorecard of the Nigeria Civil Society Situation Room (NCSSR) Electoral Accountability Tracker (SEAT) held in October.

Mr Aigbe, the regional advocacy officer of West Africa Democracy Network (WADEMOS), said the assessment showed that although operational preparations were advancing, Nigeria’s overall electoral readiness remained moderate and fragile.

According to him, administrative preparations and technological improvements alone cannot guarantee credible elections without accountable institutions and public confidence.

“While operational preparations are advancing, overall readiness remains moderate and fragile. The machinery for the 2027 general elections is moving; the public trust required to sustain it is not.

“That distinction should concern every stakeholder. Elections are not made credible by administrative checklists or technological upgrades alone.

“They are made credible through accountable institutions, responsible political conduct and public confidence that the process is impartial, transparent and secure,” he said.

Mr Aigbe, a member of Nigeria Civil Society Situation Room, commended Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) for commencing permanent voter card collection, ensuring preliminary display of voter register and establishing an Artificial Intelligence Division.

He, however, expressed concern over delays in the online publication of the voter register and inadequate clarity surrounding verification procedures and AI-generated images.

Mr Aigbe urged INEC to conduct an independent audit of the voter register and publish clear guidelines regulating artificial intelligence in electoral operations.

He identified political parties as the weakest-performing stakeholder group, scoring one out of five in the assessment, with a declining performance trend.

“Political parties are the primary vehicles of democratic competition. When parties fail, elections inevitably suffer.

“When coalition politics becomes a substitute for internal democracy, when party membership registers remain opaque, and when candidate emergence is determined more by litigation than transparent primaries, electoral competition becomes a source of instability rather than legitimacy.

“Opaque membership registers, questionable primaries and prolonged litigation over candidates’ emergence could undermine democratic competition and electoral legitimacy,” he said.

The expert urged political parties to adopt credible membership registers, transparent primaries and enforceable commitments to peaceful campaigns and internal dispute resolution.

He also expressed concern over 60 election-related incidents documented in October, including attacks and disruptions of political activities.

Mr Aigbe urged security agencies to prioritise preventive intelligence, impartial protection and effective mechanisms for reporting electoral violations.

According to him, security agencies must protect citizens’ political rights rather than political interests, warning against partisan enforcement and arbitrary arrests.

The assessment rated the National Assembly and the judiciary three out of five, while the presidency and federal government scored two out of five.

Mr Aigbe urged the National Assembly to strengthen oversight of electoral spending, INEC appointments and proposed policing reforms, while ensuring safeguards against partisan abuse.

He also called for timely and consistent judicial decisions on pre-election disputes, stressing that institutional independence must be demonstrated through actions.

The expert identified civil society as the strongest-performing stakeholder, scoring four out of five, while the media scored three, with both recording improvements.

He urged both sectors to strengthen election monitoring, fact-checking, digital verification and voter education to counter misinformation and AI-generated manipulation.

“Nigeria is preparing for the 2027 elections, the question remains whether it is preparing elections worthy of public trust. Trust cannot be manufactured through technology, messaging or public relations.

“It is earned through verifiable transparency, impartial security, accountable institutions and respect for the right of every Nigerian to participate freely and without fear.

“There is still time to close the trust gap. But that window is narrowing. What stakeholders do between now and the close of 2026 may well determine whether 2027 is merely a logistical exercise or a genuinely credible democratic choice,” Mr Aigbe said.

(NAN)