The Athena Centre for Policy and Leadership has unveiled the Athena Election Observatory (AEO), a non-partisan platform aimed at strengthening electoral integrity through data-driven research and transparent post-election audits.
By Chimezie Godfrey
The Athena Centre for Policy and Leadership has unveiled the Athena Election Observatory (AEO), a non-partisan platform aimed at strengthening electoral integrity through data-driven research and transparent post-election audits.
Ahead of tomorrow’s bye-elections in 16 constituencies across 12 states, the centre said it had deployed 50 trained staff to monitor the Independent National Electoral Commission’s (INEC) Result Viewing (IReV) portal in real time, capturing polling unit results (Form EC8A) for independent process review.
Chancellor of the Athena Centre, Osita Chidoka, said the initiative was in line with a global trend of using post-election audits to build trust in democracy.
“The Athena Election Observatory aligns with a growing global movement to improve electoral integrity through rigorous post-election audits. From Risk-Limiting Audits in Colorado, USA, to post-election audits in Estonia’s digital voting system and Canada’s ballot verification reviews, nations increasingly use data-driven methods to strengthen trust in democracy. AEO brings that same spirit of transparency and accountability to Nigeria and Africa,” he said.
He explained that the Observatory builds on the centre’s earlier work in states like Kogi, Imo, Bayelsa, and Edo, where its reports were “widely acclaimed for transparency and reliance on verifiable INEC data.”
“Our mission is simple — to make elections more credible by ensuring every number on a result sheet can be independently verified,” Chidoka added.
The Media Adviser of the Athena Centre, Aliyu Jalal, called on INEC to boost transparency in tomorrow’s exercise.
“We urge INEC to publish the BVAS accreditation data alongside the Form EC8A results on IReV. This will significantly improve public confidence in the process,” he said.
He also appealed to political parties and security agencies to play their part.
“Political parties should monitor the process closely and keep secure, verifiable records of INEC forms from polling units to collation centres. Security agencies must ensure a peaceful atmosphere at polling units and resist any attempt to intimidate party agents, especially during collation,” Jalal said.
The formal launch of the Observatory will be announced soon, alongside its first report titled “Review of INEC’s Progress in Electoral Technology and Transparency 2015–2025: Lessons for Strengthening Nigeria’s Electoral Integrity.”