Presiding officers exposed to risk’ – Igini warns on impact of controversial Electoral Act Bill

A former Mike Igini, who served as Resident Electoral Commissioner at the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), has raised concerns that the controversial Electoral Act Amendment Bill could put presiding officers’ lives at risk during the 2027 general elections.

Speaking on Wednesday during an appearance on The Morning Show, Igini cautioned that the proposed amendments could reintroduce a system resembling the former “Incident Form,” particularly in cases where election officials claim network connectivity issues prevent the electronic transmission of results.

He warned that such scenarios could escalate tensions at polling units, especially if voters are able to verify network availability on their mobile devices while presiding officers insist otherwise.

“The consequence, the danger of what has been passed is that we are bringing back what they call ‘incident form’… The polling units presiding officers’ lives are going to be in danger,” Igini said.

The former commissioner highlighted that National Youth Service Corps members, rather than the children of political elites, are typically deployed to polling units, placing them on the frontline of election-day responsibilities and potential risks.

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Igini also referenced past elections, alleging collusion among some electoral officials. He pointed to incidents where serial numbers of election result sheets were duplicated, raising questions about which version would be considered authentic on INEC’s Result Viewing Portal (iReV).

“You know that in 2015 and 2019 there was evidence of collusion with some of our staff, when they gave the serial number of ECA in certain polling units for people to print… And where they are transmitted to the iReV, which one are you going to pick?” he asked, underscoring the risks of result manipulation.

The former commissioner’s warnings highlight growing concerns among electoral stakeholders about the safety of presiding officers and the integrity of the election process under the proposed amendments, prompting calls for careful review before implementation.