…Seeks US, UK, EU intervention
Former Deputy National Publicity Secretary of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Comrade Timi Frank, has warned President Bola Tinubu and the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) against any attempt to manipulate the 2027 general election, declaring that Nigerians will not accept results that do not reflect their votes.
Frank, who made the remarks in a statement in Abuja, expressed concern over allegations of artificial intelligence (AI)-generated names and photographs in the national voter register, describing them as issues requiring urgent investigation.
He urged INEC to verify questionable entries, establish the facts and explain transparently how the register was compiled.
“This discovery of INEC using AI-generated voters’ register is a clear indication of a rigging plot,” he said.
Frank warned that any attempt to manipulate the election could have serious consequences for national stability.
“President Tinubu and INEC should understand that any attempt to rig the 2027 election will have serious consequences. What is happening in France and other European countries would be child’s play compared with what could happen in Nigeria,” he said.
He added that Nigerians would not accept an electoral outcome that failed to reflect their choices.
“If the 2027 election is rigged, Nigerians will have no choice but to take their destiny into their own hands. What is happening in France, Germany and other European countries will be child’s play compared with what will happen in Nigeria,” Frank warned.
He also cautioned against assuming that aggrieved candidates would simply challenge disputed results in court.
“They believe they can rig the election and then tell the opposition to go to court. That will not happen in 2027,” he said.
Frank expressed concern about public confidence in the judiciary, alleging that many Nigerians perceived it as a remote-controlled institution.
He urged the authorities to prevent electoral malpractice rather than leave disputes to be resolved after the polls.
The former APC spokesman further alleged that INEC had failed to comply with the requirement to publish the voter register not later than 90 days before the general election, citing Section 19(1) of the Electoral Act 2026, as amended.
He called on the commission to clarify its compliance with the law and take all necessary steps to guarantee the credibility of the register.
Frank urged the United States, the United Kingdom, the European Union and other international partners to engage the Nigerian government and INEC well ahead of the election to help safeguard a free, fair and credible process.
He particularly called on the United States to draw on its diplomatic engagement with Nigeria during the 2015 general election to encourage credible polls in 2027.
“This is the time we expect the American government to do what they did in 2015 to ensure Nigeria conducts free and fair elections in 2027,” he said.
Frank urged international partners to take the allegations seriously, engage relevant Nigerian authorities and encourage transparency in voter registration and election preparations.
He stressed that INEC must demonstrate its independence, address legitimate concerns about the voter register and ensure that every eligible Nigerian’s vote counts.
Frank, who is the United Liberation Movement for West Papua (ULMWP) Ambassador to East Africa and the Middle East, warned that undermining the electorate’s mandate could deepen political tensions and erode confidence in Nigeria’s democratic institutions.
He called on Tinubu and INEC to ensure that the 2027 general election is conducted transparently and that its outcome reflects the genuine will of Nigerians.
