Unless urgent corrective measures are taken by the National Council of State (NCoS), the international community, civil society organisations, and both local and foreign election observers, Nigeria’s 2027 general elections may descend into the most compromised polls in the nation’s history.
This warning follows credible information obtained by Sunday Vanguard from reliable insiders within the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).
According to the sources, politicians have allegedly infiltrated the electoral body and are plotting a sophisticated rigging agenda designed to undermine the credibility of the entire process.
Dual Result Sheets and IReV Manipulation
At the heart of the alleged scheme is the planned production of duplicate original EC8 result forms—an arrangement that would allow predetermined results to be imposed in strategically targeted polling units.
Other aspects of the manipulation include deliberate discrepancies between figures recorded at polling units and those uploaded to the INEC Results Viewing Portal (IReV), as well as tampering with the ongoing voter registration exercise.
One insider explained:
“This plot involves producing identical Forms EC8A (polling unit), EC8B (ward), and EC8C (local government), one set for public presentation at polling units, and another set reserved for strategic allocation of votes.”
The source added that the strategy is meant to “directly compromise transparency through manipulation of data uploaded to the INEC IReV.”
Exploiting INEC Technology
Further revelations suggest that INEC’s technological platforms, particularly IReV and the Bimodal Voter Accreditation System (BVAS)—introduced to boost public trust—are being deliberately tested for weaknesses that could allow electoral fraud.
Another insider disclosed:
“These platforms have been tested in ways exposing them to potential exploitation.”
Red Flags from Past Elections
Pointing to precedents, the insider cited irregularities from past off-cycle gubernatorial elections.
“During the Kogi election (November 2023), Ondo (November 2024), and Edo (September 2024), pre-prepared results were allegedly uploaded to IReV before the closure of polls,” the source revealed.
Civil society observers in Edo also documented cases where recorded votes exceeded the number of accredited voters—clear evidence of malpractice.
Similar red flags were reported during by-elections held after 2023, where delays and suspensions of IReV uploads were widespread. In some instances, alternative “original” result sheets—allegedly produced by politically aligned operatives—were used to validate outcomes.
