By BONIFACE AKARAH

The Human Rights Writers Association of Nigeria (HURIWA) has urged the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) and the National Assembly to draw lessons from the reported outcome of the United States midterm elections and strengthen safeguards for credible, transparent and peaceful elections in Nigeria.

The association made the call in a statement dated November 4, 2026, signed by its National Coordinator, Comrade Emmanuel Nnadozie Onwubiko.

HURIWA said the reported victories by Democratic candidates and the transfer of control of both chambers of the US Congress demonstrated the importance of allowing voters to determine political outcomes through credible electoral processes.

It said Nigeria must move away from an electoral system in which prolonged disputes, allegations of manipulation and court battles routinely cast doubts on the credibility of election results.

The group called on the National Assembly to strengthen the Electoral Act by making electronic transmission of results mandatory and ensuring real-time public access to polling-unit results.

“Under a transparent system, results should be transmitted promptly and made accessible to Nigerians, leaving little room for manipulation, alteration or unnecessary disputes over the people’s mandate,” HURIWA said.

The association argued that electoral credibility would improve when voters could independently verify results and political parties had confidence that declared outcomes reflected the ballots cast.

It urged INEC Chairman, Professor Joash Amupitan, and other election managers to draw lessons from established democracies and ensure that Nigeria’s January 2027 national elections were free, fair, transparent and peaceful.

HURIWA warned that any attempt to manipulate the 2027 elections could trigger serious political instability and undermine public confidence in constitutional democracy.

“The association also urges President Bola Tinubu and the ruling political establishment to recognise that interference in electoral processes can deepen political divisions and pose serious risks to national security,” the statement said.

It maintained that Nigeria could not afford another electoral crisis, warning that the credibility of the 2027 elections must not be compromised by political interests, institutional failures or opaque result-management procedures.

HURIWA said the power to choose political leaders belonged to the electorate and that the ballot must remain sovereign, adding that the time to protect Nigeria’s democracy was now.