EU-SDGN Launches Election ReportPoint to Strengthen Citizen Reporting During Elections

Wale Igbintade

The EU Support to Democratic Governance in Nigeria (EU-SDGN) cohort has launched the Election ReportPoint, a citizen reporting channel designed to enable Nigerians to report electoral misconduct and incidents that could threaten peaceful participation and the integrity of elections.

The Election ReportPoint provides citizens with a direct channel to report incidents including violence, intimidation, vote buying, ballot snatching and disruption of voting. While the platform is designed for elections more broadly, it will be deployed during the Osun State Governorship Election as part of efforts to strengthen citizen participation and the timely reporting of electoral incidents.

Speaking on behalf of the EU-SDGN cohort, the Executive Director of the International Press Centre, Lanre Arogundade, said the initiative recognises that safeguarding elections requires active participation by citizens alongside the work of electoral and security institutions.

“Citizens are often the first to see or hear about incidents that could undermine an election. Election ReportPoint gives them a direct channel to report those incidents and contribute to protecting the integrity of the electoral process,” Arogundade said.

He noted that timely reporting could help ensure that incidents are documented and brought to the attention of relevant stakeholders for appropriate action.

“Violence, intimidation, vote buying and disruption of voting should never be treated as normal parts of an election. When citizens speak up and report what they witness, they strengthen accountability and help protect peaceful participation,” he said.

Arogundade urged citizens to use the platform responsibly and ensure that information submitted is accurate and credible. He said measures have been put in place to guard against misinformation, with reports received through the Election ReportPoint subjected to verification before credible incidents are escalated to the relevant stakeholders for appropriate action.

“Our message to citizens is simple: see something, report it. Hear something, report it. Protecting the integrity of our elections requires all of us to play our part,” he added.

The Election ReportPoint is an initiative of the EU-SDGN cohort under the EU Support to Democratic Governance in Nigeria Programme, which is funded by the European Union.

Citizens who witnessed or received credible information about electoral misconduct are to contact the Election ReportPoint by telephone or WhatsApp on 0706 825 8595 or 0707 116 4610.

Reports may cover violence, intimidation, vote buying, ballot snatching, disruption of voting and other incidents that could undermine the integrity of the electoral process.