RismadarVoice Reporters
October 19, 2026
Political party leaders and civil society organisations in Rivers State have called on the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to relocate election result collation centres from local government council secretariats ahead of the 2027 general elections.
The stakeholders expressed concerns over alleged intimidation, political interference and restricted access to collation venues during previous elections, warning that unresolved complaints could undermine public confidence in the electoral process.
Former Rivers State Labour Party Chairman, Favour Reuben, alleged that officials associated with ruling political parties at the local government level had prevented opposition party agents from gaining access to designated collation centres.
Reuben argued that conducting collation exercises within council secretariats could expose the process to interference, particularly where local government authorities were politically aligned with particular candidates.
He proposed the use of police stations as alternative collation venues, suggesting that access should be limited to duly accredited political party agents and other authorised election officials.
According to him, such an arrangement could help protect election materials, reduce intimidation and allow party representatives to monitor the collation of results without obstruction.
The Secretary of the Inter-Party Advisory Council in Rivers State, Ben Ogbugbulam, supported the call, urging INEC to review the existing arrangements and consider measures that would guarantee fairness and transparency.
Human rights advocate Dr Jackson Omenazu also called on the electoral commission to investigate allegations of intimidation and restricted access during previous elections.
Omenazu maintained that protecting the integrity of result collation was essential to ensuring that votes cast by citizens were accurately recorded and reflected in final election outcomes.
Similarly, the Coordinator of the PILEX Centre, Courage Nsirimovu, urged voters and civil society organisations to maintain lawful oversight of INEC officials and electoral activities.
He emphasised the importance of public vigilance, transparency and accountability throughout the electoral process.
The stakeholders maintained that addressing complaints about collation centres before the elections would help strengthen trust among political parties, candidates and voters.
However, the allegations of deliberate exclusion and intimidation have not been independently established, and no official decision by INEC to relocate the affected centres has been confirmed.
The proposed use of police stations would also require consideration of electoral regulations, security arrangements and equal access for accredited stakeholders.
The development adds to growing discussions about electoral safeguards and the credibility of the 2027 general elections.
