Insecurity, political violence biggest threats to Nigeria’s 2027 elections — IRI

The International Republican Institute (IRI) has warned that insecurity and election-related political violence pose the greatest threats to Nigeria's 2027 general elections. IRI President Daniel Twining cautioned that these issues could undermine voter participation and diminish the public's confidence in the electoral process.

During a press conference in Abuja, Twining explained that Nigeria's electoral credibility would depend on citizens' ability to participate fearlessly and trust that their votes would be respected. He emphasized that election-related political violence and insecurity would render technical improvements and legal safeguards less effective.

Twining highlighted that Nigeria's 2027 elections would take place at a critical juncture for the country and democratic institutions across Africa due to the nation's size and influence. He also pointed out that political consolidation within the ruling party and fragmentation among opposition parties could further impact confidence in the electoral process.

Despite these challenges, Twining noted that Nigeria still has strong foundations for democratic competition, including established electoral institutions and a multi-party system. He stressed that public confidence remained a significant challenge, particularly due to the lingering impact of the 2023 elections on perceptions of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).

Twining's team recommended practical steps to strengthen confidence in Nigeria's electoral process before the 2027 elections. They urged INEC to establish clearer procedures for addressing communication failures during electronic result transmission, define what constitutes a communication failure, and establish a uniform process for resolving discrepancies between physical and electronic records.

Furthermore, they called for robust stress tests of INEC's systems and mock elections to identify potential challenges with the Bimodal Voter Accreditation System (BIMAS) and Independent Verification and Reporting (IReV) tools. Additionally, Twining's team recommended that INEC ensure ballot secrecy by allowing voters to mark their ballots away from the view of polling agents and observers.