, insider sources within the Commission disclosed that the scheme—largely coordinated through INEC’s ICT and Operations departments—was designed under the outgoing Chairman, Professor Mahmood Yakubu, and is expected to be handed over to his potential successor, Abdulrazak Tukur Yusuf.
Test Runs in Recent Elections
The report alleged that the manipulation strategy, centred on the INEC Result Viewing Portal (IReV), has already been tested during recent by-elections and off-season governorship polls in states such as Kogi, Ondo, and Edo. In some instances, pre-prepared results were reportedly uploaded as early as 8 a.m. on election day.
The scheme, sources claimed, involves producing duplicate “original” result sheets—one used at polling units and another allegedly supplied to APC operatives with pre-written figures. While authentic results may initially appear on IReV, they are later deleted or hidden and replaced with pre-arranged outcomes uploaded from INEC’s situation room.
Manipulated Voter Registration
The report further accused INEC of compromising the ongoing voter registration exercise. It claimed that APC was given sensitive information about newly created polling units with low registration, enabling the party to re-register its supporters there to ensure domination on election day.
This, according to the insider, was deliberately done without issuing the usual public guidelines on eligibility for new registrations, in violation of INEC’s own policy.
Legal Cover and Recruitment Concerns
Another layer of the alleged strategy is legal. INEC’s legal department is reportedly expected to certify the duplicate “originals” as authentic during post-election litigation, making genuine polling unit results inadmissible.
The Commission also stands accused of preparing to recruit politically compromised staff as ad-hoc and collation officers in 2027, drawing largely from civil service agencies and universities perceived to be loyal to the ruling party.
Abdulrazak Yusuf in the Spotlight
At the centre of the controversy is Abdulrazak Tukur Yusuf, INEC’s current National Commissioner and former Director of Operations. He is accused of designing the duplicate-result template and leaking sensitive materials to APC politicians during the 2023 elections.
Multiple reports indicate that Yakubu is grooming Yusuf as his successor, presenting him to President Tinubu as the safest option to continue the system into 2027.
Yusuf’s past record has also raised eyebrows. As INEC Administrative Secretary in Kano during the 2015 elections—when the APC secured a sweeping victory—he was linked to controversies. That same year, Kano’s Resident Electoral Commissioner, Alhaji Abdullahi Minkaila, and his family died in a still-unresolved fire incident.
Tinubu’s Search for Loyal Successors
Other names reportedly considered by the presidency include Sam Olugbadebo Olumekun, Moses Ogbe, and Kenneth Ukeagu—all senior INEC figures with ties to past controversies. However, concerns over ethnic balancing and their corruption records may limit their prospects, leaving Yusuf as the most favoured “dark horse” candidate.
If these allegations are proven true, analysts warn, it would mark a reversal of recent electoral reforms and undermine confidence in Nigeria’s democratic process ahead of 2027.
KogiTribune is closely monitoring the developments and will provide updates as more information unfolds.
