The Labour Party (LP) has said the credibility of the 2027 general elections will depend not solely on statutory provisions or institutional mechanisms, but on the vigilance, determination, and collective resolve of the Nigerian people.
The Interim National Chairman, Senator Esther Nenadi Usman, at the Citizens’ Townhall on the Electoral Act, 2026, in Abuja, said the controversy surrounding the provision in Section 60(3) of the Act is unnecessary if political parties can deploy well-trained, vigilant, and capable agents across all polling units.
Senator Usman noted that Form EC8A is the primary source for collating results, which should be countersigned by candidates or polling agents.
“I understand the concerns expressed, particularly by opposition parties, about the possibility that the fallback to Form EC8A in the event of network disruptions could be abused.
“However, I have consistently maintained that the success or failure of any political party at a polling unit ultimately depends on the party’s preparedness and presence at that polling unit,” she stated.
According to her, the responsibility of ensuring that the votes are protected, properly documented, and accurately reflected on the INEC Result Viewing (IReV) portal lies with political parties.
“We must all remember that the IREV is primarily for viewing results and keeping records, not collation,” she said.
The National Chairman stated that the Labour Party has learnt some lessons from the last presidential election, stating that the party realised that the foundation of electoral success lies in meticulous grassroots preparation, particularly the deployment of agents.
She disclosed that the party is committing significant resources and energy toward ensuring effective representation across the 176,974 polling units nationwide.
“In the previous presidential election, despite our strong belief in our performance, we faced challenges substantiating certain claims, largely because we lacked comprehensive agent coverage capable of producing duly countersigned copies of Form EC8A from across the federation,” she added.
Senator Usman expressed the belief that if political parties could strengthen their internal structures and perform their responsibilities diligently, the anxiety over real-time electronic transmission as the sole guarantor of credible results could become less compelling.
To do otherwise, according to her, amounts to outsourcing the solution to the parties’ organisational shortcomings if they rely exclusively on the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) while neglecting their critical role on election day.
The National Chairman, however, faults Section 84(2) of the Electoral Act, which makes direct primaries or consensus in line with party guidelines as sole means of nominating party candidates.
Although she said both direct and indirect primaries have their advantages and disadvantages, she advised that parties should be allowed “the discretion to adopt the method of candidate selection – direct, indirect, or consensus – that best aligns with their constitution and operational context.”
Senator Usman, however, expressed confidence that the existing framework can deliver credible and transparent elections if all stakeholders are committed to upholding the will of the people.
