A civil society advocate, Samson Itodo, has clarified that the provision of the law regarding ballot papers without official marks is not new, urging greater vigilance to prevent abuse during elections.
Itodo, in a statement on April 26, explained that Section 63 of the Electoral Act 2026, which addresses the legality of unmarked ballot papers, has existed in previous electoral laws.
According to him, the provision was contained in Section 67 of the 2006 Electoral Act, Section 66 of the 2010 Act, and Section 63 of the 2022 Act.
He said the objective of the provision is to strike a balance between preventing fake ballots from being counted and ensuring that valid votes are not discarded due to administrative lapses by election officials.
“The rationale for the provision is to ensure that fake ballots are not counted, while also preventing valid votes from being wasted due to administrative errors by presiding officers, whether intentional or unintentional,” he said.
Itodo, however, warned that the provision could be manipulated by politicians or compromised officials if adequate safeguards are not in place.
“To prevent this provision from being exploited, vigilance is required from party agents from the point of printing the ballot papers to the stage of deployment,” he stated.
He outlined key measures to strengthen the process, including proper accounting of ballot papers from the Central Bank of Nigeria and Independent National Electoral Commission offices to Registration Area Centres and polling units.
He also called for clearer guidelines on verifying unmarked ballots and transparent documentation of decisions to either count or reject such votes.
According to him, certification by party agents, election observers and voters would further enhance transparency and credibility in the process.
Itodo stressed that adherence to these measures is critical to safeguarding the integrity of elections and maintaining public confidence in the electoral system.