By Ade Iyamoye
Public affairs analyst and engineer, Ikenna Okonkwo, has called for the establishment of Polling Unit Marshals (PU Marshals) to ensure free, fair, and credible elections in Nigeria come 2027.
In a statement issued on July 6, 2025, Okonkwo decried persistent electoral fraud and accused the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) of enabling rigging in past elections.
He warned that unless Nigerians take proactive steps, the 2027 polls could again be manipulated.
To tackle this, he proposed a grassroots citizen initiative that will deploy 600,000 volunteers across Nigeria’s 200,000 polling units to monitor and report electoral activities in real-time using mobile apps and digital tools.
“These Marshals will quietly monitor voting and collation processes, capture original results, and upload them to a secure platform,” he said. “This will help Nigerians collate accurate results alongside INEC and provide solid evidence in court if rigging occurs.”
Okonkwo stressed that the initiative is non-partisan and open to all Nigerians, regardless of background, religion, or political affiliation.
“We must act now to stop rigging. If we do nothing, we’ll continue to suffer under corrupt leaders,” he added.
He urged Nigerians to volunteer and join the movement, warning that the time to act is now, not in 2027.
