2027: Opposition parties must unite to protect votes — Modibbo

Dr Ibrahim Modibbo, a public affairs analyst, has called on Nigeria's opposition political parties to unite and devise a unified strategy to preserve democracy and safeguard votes during elections. During an interview with Arise TV, Modibbo highlighted the challenges confronting Nigeria's electoral process, with a particular focus on the collation and verification of election results.

He emphasized the crucial need for opposition parties to ensure all votes are accurately counted and for the results announced by electoral authorities to align with those recorded and transmitted through INEC's Result Viewing (IReV) portal.

Modibbo underscored the importance of reinforcing the collation process to bolster confidence in elections, as most issues typically emerge after voting has concluded and results are being collated. He urged political parties and their agents to remain vigilant throughout the entire process, ensuring that results from polling units are safeguarded and accurately reflected at each stage of collation.

"The people themselves have to protect their votes, and of course the political parties, particularly the opposition, have to protect them," Modibbo stated.

He also stressed the significance of citizens, political parties, and other stakeholders collaborating with INEC and security agencies to guarantee that elections are executed transparently and credibly. Modibbo acknowledged the potential of technology to enhance the electoral process but argued that it is imperative for political parties and voters to actively monitor the process to ensure these technological tools are utilized correctly and any discrepancies are promptly addressed.