₦airaland Forum

DeLaRue:
I think INEC's hand are tied by law anyway.

The opposition injecting religion into everything will not help them.

Personally, I don't have a problem with shifting the date.

However, as Lent doesn't end until mid March that means Christians too will object to INEC shifting the date to a day when Lent is still ongoing.

That means INEC will have to look at December 2026 or January 2027.

This will mean that the dates for primaries will be earlier than planned. That will not help an opposition that is still trying to organise itself.

"In Nigeria, Muslims are more than Christians. That's why my husband ran on muslim-muslim ticket" - Remi Tinubu

And yet, it's the opposition that is injecting religion into everything.

AMINDA:
"In Nigeria, Muslims are more than Christians. That's why my husband ran on muslim-muslim ticket" - Remi Tinubu

And yet, it's the opposition that is injecting religion into everything.

As I said, I have no problem with shifting the election date as I know from personal experience what it can feel like when one has not had a meal for 12 or more hours. And as a previous commenter narrated, voting in Nigeria is particularly demanding physically.

But the issue now is,if INEC changes the date for fasting Muslims, it will find it difficult to move the date to a time when Christians are fasting. Lent will not end until March 18, I think. And since a President must be sworn in within 90 days of election, that means a Presidential election date after 18 March will be very dicey. Hence INEC may have to consider December 2026, or more likely January 2027.

As for Mrs Tinubu, if she was quoted accurately,what she said made no sense.

First, there is no credible recent data to confirm which religion has the most followers in Nigeria.

Secondly, even if the muslim population is larger, that is not a credible argument for a Muslim Muslim presidency.

TonyeBarcanista:
The problem is Atiku Abubakar and his minions, not Islam.

We have seen Muslim predominant countries holding elections, playing football games, and all during Ramadan. Even Atiku's private businesses do not shut down during Ramadan.

Was Atiku the problem in 2003 when Catholics prevailed on INEC to shift elections?

What happens to a political party that is divided among itself

REWIND: In 2003, elections were going to clash with Easter. Catholic bishops protested. INEC shifted to April

In 2003, the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) shifted the date of the general election after protests by Catholic bishops over a clash with Easter.

BACKGROUND

INEC had initially fixed April 19, 2003, for the governorship and state house of assembly elections.

The date, however, coincided with Holy Saturday, a day preceding Easter Sunday, a significant event on the Christian calendar.

The Catholic Bishops’ Conference of Nigeria (CBCN) described the scheduled date as unacceptable and urged the electoral body to reconsider.

The bishops argued that holding elections on Holy Saturday would prevent many Christians from fully participating in their religious and civic obligations.

In a statement at the time, the conference said the decision demonstrated insensitivity to the religious commitments of a large segment of the population.

The bishops implored INEC to move the election in the spirit of inclusiveness and national harmony.

The protest sparked public debate over the need to balance electoral timelines with religious observances.

Following consultations and mounting pressure, INEC announced a shift in the election date.

The commission subsequently moved the governorship and state assembly elections to a new date in the same month.

https://www.thecable.ng/rewind-how-catholic-bishops-forced-inec-to-shift-2003-election-date-over-easter-clash/

DeLaRue:
As I said, I have no problem with shifting the election date as I know from personal experience what it can feel like when one has not had a meal for 12 or more hours. And as a previous commenter narrated, voting in Nigeria is particularly demanding physically.

But the issue now is,if INEC changes the date for fasting Muslims, it will find it difficult to move the date to a time when Christians are fasting. Lent will not end until March 18, I think. And since a President must be sworn in within 90 days of election, that means a Presidential election date after 18 March will be very dicey. Hence INEC may have to consider December 2026, or more likely January 2027.

As for Mrs Tinubu, if she was quoted accurately,what she said made no sense.

First, there is no credible recent data to confirm which religion has the most followers in Nigeria.

Secondly, even if the muslim population is larger, that is not a credible argument for a Muslim Muslim presidency.

What other data apart from census figures are relevant to religious beliefs?

Did the last census of 2006 have religious affiliation questions?

If 20 years ago there was no religious affiliation question then what is the NON recent data that confirms which religion has the most followers between the two Abrahamic ways of relating with the Unknown God

Obiedun:
Thanks for your feedback. Wasthe 2023 election timetable changeed because of the Catholic outcry?

I don't see any reason why election date should be changed because of voting.

The election date that was changed is the one of 2003, when Obasanjo was reelected, because Atiku rejected northern pressure to make him a one term president like Tinubu made Jonathan.

2003 was the year that Buhari lost his first attempt to secure the job from 200 million Nigerian employers.

If election date is not changed because of VOTING, then why else should it be changed

Atiku Abubakar, despite his facade of being a moderate Muslim, is a diehard religious bigot.

The FG and the INEC must not indulge him by shifting the already announced date so as not to set a dangerous precedent.

Ramadan, like the Lenten season, is a period of spiritual cleansing of the heart, a period of piety, sobriety and complete abstinence from worldly vices.

This being the case, the chosen date of 20th February, 2027 is actually fortuitous because it's expected to be devoid of violent conduct often associated with elections in the country.

If Atiku Abubakar believes that the said date would become a hindrance to his religious beliefs, them he should opt out of the race.

You can't have your cake and eat it too!



@hotseat

TonyeBarcanista:
I read a statement authored by Atiku Abubakar, a former Vice President of Nigeria, in which he criticized the scheduling of the 2027 elections simply because the arrangement falls within the 2027 Ramadan month. Atiku’s criticism is not the only one so far; there have been others whose status is of little or no significance in the scheme of things.

It is unfortunate that Atiku, who was privileged to occupy a very senior office in the country, would subtly whip up religious sentiments when he clearly knows that no passage in the Holy Quran forbids or makes elections illegal during Ramadan. In fact, there have been countless instances of countries, including predominantly Muslim ones, holding elections during the Ramadan month. Some of these are:

Gambia, a predominantly Muslim country, held its 2022 National Assembly election on April 9, which was the eighth day of Ramadan.

Turkey, a country with a predominantly Muslim population, held nationwide municipal elections on March 31, 2024. That was around the twenty first day of Ramadan.

Kuwait, a predominantly Muslim country in the Middle East, held its general election on April 4, 2024. That date was exactly the twenty fifth day of Ramadan that year.

In 2004, the United States held its presidential election on November 2, while Ramadan began on October 15. This clearly meant that the election was held during Ramadan. No decent citizen raised an eyebrow.

The United Kingdom held elections in June 2017 and in May of 2019, 2021, and 2022 during Ramadan.

In addition to the above, several FIFA World Cups, European Cups, and football leagues across the predominantly Muslim Middle East, Europe, as well as Africa, have been held during the Ramadan month. So what is so special about an important Nigerian election holding in the same period?

A discerning mind, irrespective of religion or faith, would dismiss the statement by Atiku Abubakar and focus instead on holding INEC accountable to guarantee a free, fair, and credible process. Most importantly, we should not lose our guard or be distracted by religious considerations when the most critical issue is ensuring that every single vote counts and that the mandate is protected.

'Tonye Barcanista

Reality that goes beyond religion excuses.

No one is talking about this part of the Elections, so with some input, I asked what Independent observers can do to monitor the BVAS system and website. Below are recommendations:

1. Pre-Election Transparency Requirements (Before Election Day)
Independent observers should formally request:

A. BVAS Infrastructure Disclosure (Without Compromising Security)

INEC should disclose to accredited observers:
Number of primary and backup BVAS servers
Whether hosting is on-premise or cloud-based
Identity of hosting provider (if outsourced)
Data redundancy architecture (failover locations)
Cybersecurity audit certification (independent audit report summary)
Note: Exact server IP addresses or security-sensitive details should not be public, but observers can verify them confidentially.

B. BVAS Website & Backend Governance Transparency

Observers should request:
List of authorized system administrators (roles, not personal data)
Change-log records (who made updates, timestamped)
Deployment audit trail for election-day updates
Version history of BVAS and IReV software
Critical safeguard:
All backend changes should be frozen 72 hours before election.
Any emergency change must be logged and observer-notified.

C. Public Zero-State Verification Protocol

If the BVAS collation portal shows "zero results" before uploads:
Observers should:
Capture timestamped screenshots.
Compare backend logs to confirm no hidden uploads exist.
Demand hash-based verification of uploaded files.
A public cryptographic hash verification system would increase trust.
2. Election Day Monitoring Framework

A. BVAS Server Room Monitoring

Independent observers should:
Deploy IT audit teams physically present at:
National Data Center
Backup Data Center
Monitor:
Access control logs
Power redundancy systems
Network traffic spikes
Any manual database interventions
Critical:
Access to server room should require dual authorization.
All physical access should be logged and observer-witnessed.

B. BVAS Upload Point Monitoring

At upload locations:
Observers should:
Record upload time per polling unit
Verify polling unit code matches BVAS device ID
Confirm file hash consistency before and after upload
Document network failure incidents
Upload anomaly tracking matrix:
Polling Unit
Upload Time
Network Provider
Delay
Observer Notes

C. Monitoring Network Providers

Since BVAS depends on telecom infrastructure:
Observers should:
Document which telecom provider services each LGA
Track network downtime periods
Compare downtime reports with telecom provider logs
Identify geographic patterns of connectivity failure
If network failure disproportionately affects specific regions, it must be documented for post-election review.

D. Polling Booth Monitoring

Observers should verify:
BVAS accreditation success rate
Manual override frequency
Biometric failure rates
Incident report forms
Any manual accreditation override should:
Be logged
Be signed by party agents
Be photographed and documented

E. Collation Center Monitoring

At Ward, LGA, and State collation centers:
Observers should:
Compare Form EC8A (polling unit result) with BVAS upload
Confirm image uploads match physical result sheets
Record collation start and end time
Document any result alteration objections
Observers should also:
Record when results arrive before BVAS upload (red flag scenario).

3. Real-Time Transparency Recommendations

INEC should implement:
A. Live Audit Dashboard

Public-facing dashboard showing:
Total polling units
Total units uploaded
Upload progress percentage
Timestamp of last update

B. Independent Parallel Tech Audit
Organizations

Could conduct independent:
Cybersecurity penetration testing
Post-election forensic IT audit
Upload integrity verification

4. Post-Election Forensic Audit Framework

Observers should demand:
Complete BVAS device log extraction
Full upload audit trail
Database change history
Network latency logs
Server downtime report
An independent forensic IT team should verify:
No post-upload file manipulation
No result replacement
No backdated entries

5. Risk-Based Monitoring Model

High-risk areas (based on historical disputes) should receive:
Extra observers
Live upload tracking
Redundancy documentation
Immediate incident reporting hotline

6. Structural Recommendations to INEC

Publish a simplified BVAS technical whitepaper.
Engage third-party cybersecurity firms pre-election.
Establish independent tech oversight committee.
Provide observer access to server audit logs (under NDA).
Implement blockchain-style result immutability (hash verification).

Summary: What Observers Should Actively Monitor
✔ Server rooms
✔ Upload points
✔ Network providers
✔ Polling booths
✔ Collation centers
✔ Backend admin access
✔ Website zero-state verification
✔ Change logs
✔ Downtime logs

anonimi:
The election date that was changed is the one of 2003, when Obasanjo was reelected, because Atiku rejected northern pressure to make him a one term president like Tinubu made Jonathan.

2003 was the year that Buhari lost his first attempt to secure the job from 200 million Nigerian employers.

If election date is not changed because of VOTING, then why else should it be changed

Religion is a personal matter. In 2003, indeed the Catholic complained of election falling in to the period of Easter but the date was never changed and truly there's no need for it. Nigeria is a not a Catholic state nor is it an Islamic state.

anonimi:
The election date that was changed is the one of 2003, when Obasanjo was reelected, because Atiku rejected northern pressure to make him a one term president like Tinubu made Jonathan.

2003 was the year that Buhari lost his first attempt to secure the job from 200 million Nigerian employers.

If election date is not changed because of VOTING, then why else should it be changed

Election date was never changed in 2003. It is a lie. The Catholic complained but it was ignored. No election timetable was charged during Obasanjo's time. Were you a kid then?

Obiedun:
Election date was never changed in 2003. It is a lie. The Catholic complained but it was ignored. No election timetable was charged during Obasanjo's time. Were you a kid then?

Where is the lie?
How was it ignored?
When did Changed become the same thing as chaRged

REWIND: In 2003, elections were going to clash with Easter. Catholic bishops protested. INEC shifted to April

Following consultations and mounting pressure, INEC announced a shift in the election date.

The commission subsequently moved the governorship and state assembly elections to a new date in the same month.

https://www.thecable.ng/rewind-how-catholic-bishops-forced-inec-to-shift-2003-election-date-over-easter-clash/

anonimi:
Where is the lie?
How was it ignored?
When did Changed become the same thing as chaRged

The date of the election was never changed. Tell me when was it supposed to hold and when was it held.