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Professor Pat Utomi has identified inadequate resources and limited access to polling agents as major challenges facing opposition parties seeking to protect their votes during elections.
Utomi, a member of the Movement for Credible Elections, made the remarks during an interview with ARISE News while discussing Nigeria’s electoral system ahead of the 2027 elections.
He said political parties without control of state governments often lack the financial and logistical resources available to parties in power.
According to him, this imbalance becomes particularly significant on election day, when parties need representatives at polling units to monitor voting, counting and the recording of results.
“A party that can’t have agents in all of the polling stations in the country is vulnerable to having results written where they are not present,” Utomi said.
He said opposition parties could reduce this vulnerability by collaborating and sharing resources rather than attempting to operate independently.
“There’s a way that opposition can, will, and is currently collaborating that will ensure that people be made aware that their votes can count,” he said.
Utomi also placed emphasis on voter participation, saying citizens need to understand that their ballots can influence electoral outcomes.
“If people become aware that their votes can count and they come out and vote,” he said, it would be difficult for security forces to prevent Nigerians from exercising their franchise.
He further urged political actors and civil society groups to explore technology as another way of protecting votes and improving transparency.
Utomi proposed the use of body cameras and live streaming at polling units so that events during elections can be independently documented.
He argued that the combination of voter participation, cooperation among opposition groups and stronger monitoring could help address some of the weaknesses in the electoral process.
