Northern Pulse

By Mubarak Gana/Perpetua Onuegbu

The Convener of Nigeria Civil Society Situation Room, Mr Yunusa Ya’u, has called for sustained accountability in the country’s electoral cycle.

Ya’u stated this at the unveiling of a digital platform designed to strengthen electoral transparency and citizen participation on Thursday in Abuja.

He noted that while stakeholders often make recommendations and produce reports after elections, weak follow-through had continued to create accountability gaps and erode public confidence in the electoral process.

“Election credibility does not begin and end on election day. The integrity of our democracy is built long before ballots are cast and long after results are declared,” he said.

According to him, the new platform, known as Situation Room Electoral Accountability Tracker (SEAT), introduces a structured approach to electoral accountability by enabling continuous monitoring of electoral processes and stakeholder performance.

He said that the platform comprises a public web-based tracker for long-term monitoring of reforms as well as a citizen reporting application that allows real-time feedback from voters.

Ya’u said the tool would harmonise recommendations from accredited election observers into a single repository, making it easier to identify recurring challenges, track progress and assess the performance of key institutions.

“A key feature of this platform is the harmonisation of recommendations to help identify recurring issues, measure progress over time and highlight areas where action is still needed,” he said.

He added that the inclusion of citizens in the reporting process underscored their critical role in democratic accountability.

“Citizens are not just participants in elections; they are central to sustaining accountability.

“As we look forward to the 2027 general elections, the question is no longer whether elections will be conducted, but whether lessons from previous elections will lead to meaningful reforms,” he said.

Ya’u said that the Situation Room would use the platform to generate periodic reports, engage stakeholders and spotlight areas requiring urgent attention.

He called on government institutions, the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), political parties, the media, development partners and citizens to actively engage with the platform.

“Accountability works when it is collective, transparent and sustained. This is not a project of the Situation Room alone; it is a platform for collaboration,” he said.

Ya’u commended development partners, particularly the UK Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO), for supporting the initiative.

INEC National Commissioner and Chairman of Information and Voter Education Committee, Sam Olumekun, warned that emerging digital reporting tools must not undermine the commission’s authority.

Olumekun also cautioned against spread of misinformation in the electoral space.

“While technology has opened new frontiers for citizen engagement, it also presents risks that must be carefully managed,” he said, warning that the initiatives should complement and not undermine the commission’s constitutional role.

Also speaking, the Executive Director of Policy and Legal Advocacy Centre (PLAC), Clement Nwankwo, raised concerns over INEC’s timetable for the 2027 elections, warning that the compressed schedule for party primaries could undermine credible political competition.

He argued that the timeline, as currently structured, had placed undue pressure on political parties and risked weakening internal democracy.

According to him, democratic integrity depends on allowing parties sufficient time to conduct transparent and competitive primaries.

Nwankwo also decried what he described as growing practices of candidate imposition across political parties, warning that such trends could threaten democratic choice.

The Commissioner of Police in charge of Election Planning, Monitoring and Evaluation, Abayomi Shogunle, said the Nigeria Police Force would leverage the platform to enhance election monitoring and response.

While emphasising the importance of credible reporting, Shogunle said that the application must incorporate location-tracking features to ensure authenticity of reports and prevent false claims.

In his own remarks, the Governance Adviser at the United Kingdom Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO), Ayibakuro Matthew, said the initiative was reflection of a growing recognition that democratic accountability required active citizen engagement beyond election day.

Ayibakuro said that the success of the platform would depend on trust, transparency and responsible use of information by all stakeholders.(NAN)