Former Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) official, Mike Igini, has raised concerns over alleged attempts by politicians to manipulate Nigeria’s electoral process by infiltrating the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) deployment list with individuals posing as corps members.

 

Igini alleged that some political actors could exploit weaknesses in the system by inserting people with questionable identities into the NYSC list, providing them with corps members’ uniforms and deploying them as polling officials on Election Day.

 

The former INEC official warned that such alleged practices could undermine the credibility of elections by allowing unauthorised individuals to participate in the electoral process under the guise of genuine NYSC members.

 

According to him, the integrity of the NYSC list used to deploy personnel to polling units must be strengthened to prevent political interference and ensure that only verified and authorised individuals are assigned electoral duties.

 

Igini Calls for Digital Verification of NYSC Records

Igini advocated the adoption of digital technologies to improve the verification of NYSC records and strengthen the process of identifying corps members deployed for election duties.

 

He maintained that weaknesses in the existing system could create opportunities for political actors to manipulate the deployment process, potentially compromising the conduct of elections at polling units.

 

He also warned that election officials play a crucial role in the voting and result-collation process, making it necessary to establish effective safeguards against impersonation and other forms of electoral interference.

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Igini further stressed that institutions that fail to embrace technological innovations risk becoming vulnerable to manipulation, inefficiency and institutional decline.

 

His concerns come amid continuing debates over electoral transparency, the credibility of polling-unit officials and the need to strengthen safeguards ahead of future elections in Nigeria.

 

Voters Have a Role in Protecting Elections — Igini

Despite the concerns he raised about the possible manipulation of the NYSC deployment process, Igini maintained that voters still have significant power to protect the integrity of elections at the grassroots level.

 

He emphasised the importance of vigilance at polling units, noting that citizens have a responsibility to safeguard the voting process and ensure that electoral outcomes reflect the wishes of the electorate.

 

The former INEC official’s remarks highlight the need for stronger identity verification, transparent deployment procedures and effective monitoring to prevent unauthorised individuals from serving as election officials.

 

However, the allegations concerning the infiltration of the NYSC list would require independent verification and evidence to establish the extent to which such practices have occurred.

 

Strengthening the verification of election personnel, alongside increased voter vigilance, could help improve public confidence in Nigeria’s electoral process.