2027: SMBLF urges judiciary, INEC to act independently

By Henry Umoru ABUJA – The Southern and Middle Belt Leaders Forum (SMBLF) has urged the judiciary and electoral institutions to act independently and expeditiously ahead of the 2027 general elections, warning that prolonged uncertainty over party leadership and candidates’ eligibility could deprive voters of meaningful choices. The forum also called on the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to urgently conduct an independent forensic audit of the voters’ register following concerns over suspected artificial intelligence-generated photographs, duplicate entries and records allegedly belonging to unknown persons in the preliminary register published by the commission.

The calls came amid growing political tension ahead of the January 16, 2027 presidential and National Assembly elections. The forum’s position may be linked to the recent Federal High Court judgment in Abuja which nullified the leadership of the African Democratic Congress (ADC) led by Senator David Mark and invalidated actions taken by the affected executives on behalf of the party.

The development has raised questions about the party’s leadership and its preparations for the 2027 elections. The SMBLF also condemned reported attacks on political figures, including the presidential candidate of the Nigerian Democratic Congress (NDC), Peter Obi, in Makurdi and Omoyele Sowore of the African Action Congress (AAC) in Ekiti State. It called on security agencies to investigate the incidents, identify those responsible and prosecute offenders where evidence establishes culpability.

The forum made its position known in a statement issued on Monday and jointly signed by its Chairman and leader of Afenifere, Oba Oladipo Olaitan; President-General of Ohanaeze Ndigbo Worldwide, Senator John Azuta-Mbata; National Chairman of the Pan Niger Delta Forum (PANDEF), Ambassador Godknows Igali; and President of the Middle Belt Forum, Dr Bitrus Pogu.

The leaders expressed concern over what they described as an increasingly tense political atmosphere, warning that the country could not afford an electoral process undermined by doubts about institutional integrity, intimidation of political opponents and uncertainty over citizens’ democratic choices. “Our most urgent concern is the disturbing discovery of suspected Artificial Intelligence (AI)-generated photographs, duplicate entries and records reportedly belonging to unknown persons in the preliminary voters’ register published by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).

“These revelations followed public release of registration data and have provoked widespread anxiety about the credibility of the forthcoming polls,” the statement said. The forum demanded an urgent forensic audit involving electoral technology specialists, civil society representatives and other qualified stakeholders to establish the authenticity and integrity of the register.

It further urged INEC to demonstrate its preparedness to deploy the Bimodal Voter Accreditation System (BVAS) reliably, protect election infrastructure, adequately train personnel and ensure transparent collation and prompt publication of polling-unit results in accordance with the law. The leaders said the commission must learn from previous controversies surrounding the use of technology in election result transmission and take steps to restore public confidence.

On political violence, the forum said no candidate or supporter should be attacked for participating in democratic activities, irrespective of political affiliation. “The SMBLF is also alarmed by reports and video footage of attacks on political figures, including reported incidents involving the presidential candidate of the Nigerian Democratic Congress, Mr Peter Obi, in Makurdi and later in other locations, as well as Omoyele Sowore of the African Action Congress (AAC) in Ekiti State.

“Whatever their political affiliations, no candidate or supporter should face violence for participating in democratic activities. Security agencies must investigate these incidents impartially, identify perpetrators and sponsors where evidence warrants, and bring offenders before the courts,” it said. The forum also condemned the destruction of campaign billboards, posters and other political materials, describing such acts as unacceptable and capable of escalating tensions and triggering avoidable violence.

It consequently urged the judiciary and electoral institutions to discharge their responsibilities without political interference, stressing that unresolved disputes over party leadership and candidate eligibility could undermine the credibility of the electoral process if allowed to persist close to election day. The SMBLF, however, clarified that it had not adopted any political party or presidential candidate as its collective choice ahead of the 2027 elections.

“For the avoidance of doubt, the SMBLF has not adopted any presidential candidate or political party as the collective choice of the Forum