Only way to rig 2027 election is to stop it from holding — Chidoka

Former Minister of Aviation, Osita Chidoka, has said the 2027 general election could be difficult to rig if the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) maintains the electoral technology and processes deployed during the recent Osun State governorship election.

Chidoka, Chancellor of the non-partisan Athena Centre, said improved technology and independent monitoring had made electoral manipulation increasingly difficult.

Speaking on Channels Television’s Politics Today on Monday, he said the only way the 2027 election could be rigged would be to prevent it from taking place.

“The only way to rig the election in 2027 is not to conduct it,” Chidoka said.

He said the Osun electoral process demonstrated how technology could allow independent organisations to monitor results and quickly identify discrepancies.

“If you conduct it with this (Osun) process, by 7 we at Athena Centre will be giving you results state by state, how many have been uploaded and what the scores are, we will tell you that.”

Chidoka added that the centre would rely on both technology and human monitors to track the 2027 election across the country.

“Even if they say no technology will work that day, we will use manual system, we will put over 5,000 people on the 8,000 wards in Nigeria and be downloading it because Nigeria just needs to make a move.”

He also described election rigging as an outdated practice, urging political leaders to embrace credible elections.

“We need to get out of here, we need to stop this, election rigging is old, it’s not something any leader does.”

According to Chidoka, independent election-monitoring organisations were already able to collate results during the Osun governorship election.

“YIAGA was already collating the results, Athena Centre was already collating the results, Dataphyte was already collating the results. So, we knew the numbers from every ward and every polling unit.”

He said the same monitoring approach could be deployed during the 2027 general election to improve transparency and make manipulation more difficult.

Chidoka praised INEC’s deployment of technology during the Osun election, noting that the process enabled Nigerians to follow results more closely.

“The competition was intense, the technology worked and then the people behaved well.”

He also highlighted the contribution of artificial intelligence to the monitoring process, saying it helped organisations aggregate election results within minutes rather than relying entirely on manual collation.

Chidoka said the priority should be ensuring that the votes of Nigerians determine electoral outcomes, rather than leaving political disputes to be settled primarily through litigation.

“We need to get out of here” and ensure “the will of Nigerians is reflected in every election,” he said.