Electoral Act Amendments May Endanger Polling Officers

Mike Igini, the former Resident Electoral Commissioner of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), expressed concerns regarding the proposed amendments to the Electoral Act during an appearance on a morning show on Arise Television. He cautioned that these changes could put presiding officers at risk of violence during the 2027 general elections.

Igini highlighted that the amendments might revert to a system reminiscent of past electoral incidents, particularly in cases where electoral officials report a lack of network connectivity for electronic result transmission. He warned that this situation could lead to tensions at polling units, especially when voters are frustrated by network failures.

Igini emphasized that presiding officers, often members of the National Youth Service Corps, could face significant danger in such scenarios, unlike political elites who do not attend polling units. He referenced past electoral collusion incidents, including tampering with serial numbers on result sheets, which could compromise the authenticity of results uploaded to INEC's result viewing portal.