The Coalition for the Protection of Democracy (COPDEM) has formally written to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), demanding a comprehensive security audit report of all technological systems, platforms and infrastructure to be deployed for the conduct of the 2027 general elections.
In a formal correspondence addressed to INEC National Headquarters in Abuja, COPDEM National Chairman, **Mr Rwang Pam Jnr**, called for a detailed, independent and evidence-based assessment of the Commission’s entire election technology infrastructure, warning that the security and integrity of the systems must be established ahead of the crucial 2027 elections.
The request covers all systems, applications, platforms, databases, networks, cloud infrastructure, third-party integrations and backup environments that will support the electoral process.
COPDEM said the objective is to obtain a comprehensive understanding of INEC’s technological security architecture, including data flows, access controls, vulnerabilities, potential risks and the effectiveness of existing security measures.
The organisation emphasised that the credibility of an election increasingly depends not only on the conduct of voters and electoral officials but also on the integrity, transparency and security of the technological infrastructure supporting the process.
Demands Full Disclosure of Election Technology Architecture
Among the major requirements in the request is a comprehensive disclosure of INEC’s technology architecture, covering its network infrastructure, applications, databases, servers, identity management systems, security monitoring tools and disaster recovery arrangements.
COPDEM specifically wants INEC to provide detailed information about its cloud-based and on-premises infrastructure, network segmentation, firewalls, internet exposure, authentication systems, data storage, encryption and third-party connections.
The organisation also requested a complete inventory of all technology components, including the number of servers, virtual machines, cloud resources, applications, databases, APIs, network devices, security tools and external service providers.
According to the request, such information is necessary to establish the extent of the infrastructure supporting the 2027 elections and determine whether adequate security protections are in place.
Wants Independent Assessment of Cybersecurity Vulnerabilities
COPDEM further demanded an assessment of security controls across critical areas, including identity and access management, network security, data protection, application security, infrastructure security, cloud security, database protection, vulnerability management and incident response.
The organisation also wants INEC to provide evidence of its security monitoring capabilities, including logging systems, intrusion detection, incident escalation procedures and the effectiveness of its response mechanisms.
Particular attention was drawn to backup and disaster recovery arrangements, with COPDEM requesting information about backup frequency, encryption, protection against unauthorised modification, restoration testing and the Commission’s ability to recover critical electoral information in the event of a cyberattack or system failure.
The request also covers the security of third-party service providers, vendors and external organisations that may have access to INEC’s systems or electoral data.
Demands Technical Evidence, Not Mere Assurances:
In what could become a significant transparency test for the electoral commission, COPDEM wants INEC to provide supporting technical evidence rather than rely on general assurances about the security of its infrastructure.
The requested documents include high-level and detailed network architecture diagrams, data-flow diagrams, application architecture, identity and access-flow diagrams, security monitoring architecture, backup and disaster recovery diagrams, vulnerability scan summaries, patch status reports and access review evidence.
The organisation also requested firewall and access-rule reviews, security configuration evidence, monitoring coverage reports and a comprehensive risk and remediation register.
COPDEM insists that every identified security weakness should be properly documented, assigned a risk rating and accompanied by evidence, its potential impact, root cause, recommended corrective action, responsible control owner and expected completion date.
Calls for Risk Assessment Against International Standards
The proposed security audit is expected to assess INEC’s compliance with recognised international cybersecurity standards and frameworks, including the NIST Cybersecurity Framework, NIST SP 800-53, ISO/IEC 27001 and CIS Critical Security Controls.
Where applicable, the organisation also requested consideration of PCI DSS, data protection requirements and cloud service provider security benchmarks.
COPDEM said the exercise should produce an executive summary, a detailed technical security audit report, a complete system inventory, architecture diagrams, a risk register, a prioritised remediation plan, compliance mapping and supporting evidence.
It further requested that INEC disclose the expected timeline for completing the audit and submitting the report, identify the nominated audit lead and specify the documentation and stakeholder access required for the exercise.
2027 Election Credibility Must Be Protected:
The demand comes amid growing public concerns about the credibility, transparency and technological preparedness of Nigeria’s electoral process ahead of the 2027 general elections.
For COPDEM, the security of election technology cannot be treated as an internal administrative matter because any compromise capable of affecting the confidentiality, integrity or availability of electoral information could undermine public confidence in the entire democratic process.
The organisation’s intervention places renewed emphasis on the need for preventive security measures, independent technical scrutiny, accountability and verifiable evidence before the commencement of the elections.
COPDEM believes that Nigerians deserve confidence that the systems entrusted with managing critical electoral information are adequately protected against cyberattacks, unauthorised access, manipulation, data loss and other security threats.
The letter, signed by National Chairman Rwang Pam Jnr, concludes with a request for INEC’s cooperation in providing the comprehensive audit report and associated technical documentation.
The central message is clear: INEC must demonstrate, with verifiable technical evidence, that the technology infrastructure for the 2027 elections is secure, resilient and capable of protecting the integrity of Nigeria’s democratic mandate.
Editorial note: The report reflects the contents of COPDEM’s formal request. It does not suggest that INEC has admitted to any security breach or that the requested audit has already been conducted.
