Obi’s camp alleges PVC buying, salary-linked voter pressure; ADC vows to publish polling unit results
The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has announced plans to deploy artificial intelligence (AI) auditing tools and advanced cybersecurity systems in collaboration with technology giants Google and Microsoft to protect Nigeria’s electoral database ahead of the 2027 general elections.
The commission also warned that electoral officials found engaging in partisan activities, administrative negligence or other ethical violations would face immediate dismissal and prosecution.
The development comes amid growing concerns over electoral transparency, alleged attempts to induce voters with cash and other benefits, and disagreements over the independent collation and publication of election results.
The Peter Obi Media Office has accused unnamed politicians of exploiting Nigerians’ economic hardship to influence voting decisions, alleging that some ruling-party members were offering money in exchange for Permanent Voter Cards (PVCs). It further alleged that some state governors were demanding PVCs from citizens, including civil servants, before paying their salaries and allowances.
The allegations could not be independently verified.
Meanwhile, the African Democratic Congress (ADC) has vowed to document, collate and publish polling unit results during the 2027 elections, insisting that citizens and political parties retain the right to share election information while recognising INEC’s statutory authority to declare official results and winners.
The party’s position followed a warning by the INEC chairman against the publication of privately collated election results.
Speaking on Tuesday at the 10th Annual Conference of the Guild of Corporate Online Publishers (GOCOP) in Lagos, INEC Chairman, Prof. Joash Amupitan, said the commission was undertaking technological, structural and logistical reforms to strengthen electoral integrity.
Amupitan, who was represented by the Lagos State Resident Electoral Commissioner, Prof. Ayobami Salami, delivered the keynote address at the conference, themed, ‘2027 Elections: Trust, Transparency and Shared Responsibilities’.
He said the planned deployment of AI-powered auditing tools and advanced cybersecurity infrastructure would help protect INEC’s databases against cyber intrusions, Distributed Denial-of-Service (DDoS) attacks and unauthorised data injection.
According to him, the measures are designed to ensure that public confidence in the 2027 elections rests on verifiable processes rather than assurances from the commission.
On electoral discipline, the INEC chairman said officials were required under Section 26 of the Electoral Act 2026 to take a binding oath of loyalty and absolute neutrality.
He warned that any official found compromising the electoral process would face immediate sanctions.
“As I told our field officers during our North-West assessment in Kaduna: To the voter in a local ward, INEC is not the Chairman in Abuja; INEC is you,” he said.
“Pursuant to Section 26 of the Electoral Act 2026, every official must take a binding oath of loyalty and absolute neutrality. Partisanship, administrative carelessness, or ethical compromises will be met with immediate dismissal and statutory prosecution.”
Obi’s camp raises alarm over alleged PVC purchases
The Peter Obi Media Office has urged Nigerians not to surrender their voting rights because of poverty, warning that accepting money in exchange for PVCs or votes could undermine their political future.
The warning was contained in a statement issued on Tuesday by the office’s spokesman, Idris Zekeri Jnr., who called on Nigerians to reject cash and other inducements intended to compromise the electoral process.
“Your PVC is not for sale. Your vote is not for sale. Your future is not for sale,” Zekeri said.
The office urged eligible voters to collect and safeguard their PVCs and report suspected electoral manipulation to the appropriate authorities.
It also called on Nigerians to turn out in large numbers on election day, vote according to their conscience and use lawful means to protect their ballots.
ADC insists on right to publish election results
The ADC, meanwhile, has maintained that independently collating and sharing election results is a constitutional right, arguing that INEC’s responsibility to announce official results does not prevent citizens and political parties from documenting and communicating polling unit figures.
In a statement signed by its National Publicity Secretary, Bolaji Abdullahi, the party said it recognised the constitutional protections and limitations governing freedom of expression but maintained that these did not invalidate its right to collate and share election results.
“We are aware of our rights to freedom of expression under the Constitution. We are also aware of the limitations associated with those rights. We hold that our rights to collate and share election results are not abrogated by any of the limitation clauses,” the party said.
The ADC added that its agents would document polling unit results, while party structures would collate the figures and communicate verified information to the public, clearly identifying the source and status of the results.
“The ADC will share our collated results with the public. Our agents will document results, our structures will collate them, and we will communicate verified figures to the public, clearly identifying their source and status,” it said.
The party stressed that its commitment to publishing independently collated figures did not amount to a challenge to INEC’s statutory authority to declare official election results and announce winners.
With preparations for the 2027 general elections gathering momentum, the debate over cybersecurity, electoral neutrality, voter inducement and the publication of election results is emerging as a key test of public confidence in Nigeria’s electoral process.
