Experts have called for technology-driven electoral reforms and stronger institutions to reduce election litigation and restore public confidence in Nigeria’s electoral process.

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‎The call was made at the 2026 All Nigeria Editors Conference in Enugu by the President of the Nigerian Guild of Editors, Eze Anaba; former Nigerian Bar Association President, Mazi Afam Osigwe; and political economist, Prof. Pat Utomi, who examined the growing influence of technology, the judiciary and the media on elections.

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‎Anaba said the credibility of the ballot must be protected to prevent the courts from becoming the ultimate arbiters of who represents the people. He stressed that the media must provide voters with credible information about candidates, policies and government performance to enable them to make informed choices and resist misinformation and political manipulation.

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‎Osigwe, who spoke on “Election Petition in the Digital Age: Independence, Evidence, BVAS,” expressed concern over the increasing number of election petitions and the growing role of the judiciary in determining electoral outcomes. He said technologies such as the Bimodal Voter Accreditation System and the INEC Result Viewing Portal should improve electoral transparency and make it easier, rather than harder, for petitioners to establish what occurred at polling units.

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‎The former NBA president also raised concerns about the treatment of digital and subpoenaed evidence in election petitions, arguing that electoral rules and guidelines should have meaningful consequences where violations affect the credibility of the process. He further said concerns about the independence of the electoral commission and public confidence in the judiciary could increase disputes over election results.

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‎Utomi, on his part, warned that weaknesses in the electoral system could contribute to wider institutional decay and undermine confidence in democratic governance. The experts therefore called for credible elections, clearer rules on the use of digital evidence, stronger electoral institutions and responsible journalism to ensure that the power to determine political representation remains primarily with voters.