Prominent pro-democracy and civil rights advocacy group, Human Rights Writers Association of Nigeria (HURIWA) backs 100 per cent the proposed independent result-transmission mechanism being canvassed ahead of the 2027 general elections by the Presidential candidate of the National Democratic Congress(NDC), Mr. Peter Obi, saying any institution or authority opposed to greater transparency in the electoral process does not wish Nigeria well.
HURIWA says the proposal by the National Democratic Congress (NDC) presidential candidate, Peter Obi, to independently transmit polling-unit results to his campaign situation room is a welcome initiative that can strengthen confidence in the electoral process.
Obi, in an exclusive interview on Arise TV, says his team will establish a system capable of receiving and monitoring results from polling units as they are recorded during the 2027 elections.
HURIWA says the proposal deserves serious consideration because Nigeria’s democracy will be better served when political parties, civil society organisations, election observers and citizens have lawful mechanisms to independently monitor what happens at polling units.
The association says there is nothing inherently wrong with political parties, CSOs or other stakeholders developing independent systems for documenting and transmitting polling-unit results, provided such mechanisms do not interfere with the statutory responsibilities of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).
HURIWA stresses that an independent monitoring system is not the same thing as establishing a parallel electoral commission.
The civil rights organisation says INEC remains the constitutionally recognised electoral management body, but its role does not mean other stakeholders should be prevented from independently documenting the electoral process.
According to HURIWA, the issue should be approached from the standpoint of transparency rather than institutional rivalry.
HURIWA says the official electoral transmission system and independently monitored results can operate side by side, creating additional layers of verification and accountability.
The rights group notes that Obi has specifically explained that his proposed system would operate alongside INEC’s official transmission arrangements and would not seek to replace the commission.
HURIWA says the critical question is simple: Can the result eventually announced at the collation centre be traced to the actual votes counted and recorded at the polling unit?
The rights body says if the answer is yes, then every additional mechanism that helps citizens, political parties and observers verify the figures should be regarded as an asset to democracy rather than a threat.
HURIWA says Nigeria has experienced enough controversies surrounding elections to understand the danger posed when citizens are unable to independently reconcile polling-unit results with figures announced at higher levels of collation.
The association therefore welcomes the decision by Obi and other stakeholders who may wish to establish similar systems to independently document results from polling units.
HURIWA says such systems could help preserve contemporaneous evidence of polling-unit results and make it more difficult for figures to be altered without detection.
The association, however, cautions political parties and CSOs that every independent monitoring arrangement must operate within the law and must not obstruct electoral officials, intimidate voters or interfere with the collation process.
HURIWA urges INEC to engage political parties, civil society organisations, accredited observers and technology experts on how independent result-monitoring systems can complement the official electoral process.
The association says INEC should publish clear and unambiguous guidelines governing the use of technology, result documentation and independent transmission by political parties and accredited stakeholders before the 2027 election.
HURIWA also calls for stronger protection of polling-unit results, insisting that results declared at the polling unit should be properly documented, made accessible to authorised stakeholders and preserved in a manner that allows subsequent verification.
The association says technology must be deployed to eliminate uncertainty, not create another layer of secrecy.
HURIWA maintains that Nigerians should not have to wait until the final declaration before knowing whether the figures being announced are consistent with the results recorded at polling units.
The group says the 2027 election presents an opportunity for Nigeria to move beyond mere promises of electoral credibility and build a system where every stage of the voting and results process is independently verifiable.
HURIWA therefore urges political parties, CSOs, professional bodies, religious organisations, election observers and the media to develop lawful voter-transparency initiatives ahead of the poll.
The association says such initiatives should include voter education, deployment of trained polling-unit agents, photographic documentation of results where legally permissible, secure result archiving and independent monitoring of the collation process.
HURIWA says these measures should not be viewed as an attempt to undermine INEC but as additional safeguards designed to protect the integrity of the ballot.
The rights group further urges INEC to embrace constructive scrutiny, saying a credible electoral commission should not fear independent verification of the results it receives and declares.
HURIWA says the responsibility for credible elections ultimately extends beyond INEC. Political parties must respect the rules, candidates must accept lawful outcomes, security agencies must remain neutral, observers must be impartial and voters must be protected from intimidation.
The Rights group insists that no Nigerian should be punished or intimidated for demanding that his or her vote be accurately counted and properly reflected in the final result.
HURIWA therefore calls on the Federal Government, INEC, political parties and security agencies to create an atmosphere in which independent electoral monitoring is encouraged rather than criminalised.
The association says any institution genuinely committed to free, fair and credible elections should welcome measures that make it easier to verify results from the polling unit to the final declaration.
HURIWA maintains that the objective must be to ensure that no individual, political party or institution can simply announce figures that cannot be traced to the votes recorded at the polling units.
The association says the 2027 election must be an election in which every vote counts, every result is verifiable and every legitimate challenge has access to credible evidence.
HURIWA consequently calls on all stakeholders to support lawful initiatives aimed at strengthening transparency and public confidence in the 2027 electoral process.
Signed:
Comrade Emmanuel Nnadozie Onwubiko
National Coordinator
Human Rights Writers Association of Nigeria (HURIWA)
September 11, 2026
