Update on August 16 as at Sunday, 17 August – 2.38pm
By-Elections
17 August 2025
Today, the Athena Election Observatory (AEO) releases the first edition of its Election Tracker, a new series of real-time updates and analyses that will serve as an authoritative voice during Nigeria’s elections. The Tracker will provide Nigerians and the international community with timely, independent insights to strengthen electoral transparency and public trust.
This first update focuses on the August 16 by-elections conducted across 13 states of the federation. Our monitoring highlights both encouraging progress in transparency, primarily through the use of INEC’s IReV portal, and persistent gaps that must be addressed to ensure credibility and uniformity in future polls.
Transparency Gains Through IReV
Our monitoring indicates notable progress in the real-time upload of results. Oyo and Jigawa achieved 100% uploads by Sunday, while Kaduna, Edo, Ogun, and Anambra Senatorial Districts exceeded 95% completion. This marks a positive shift towards greater transparency, enabling citizens and observers to independently verify results.
Gaps in Performance
However, IReV uploads remain uneven. Kano (2% in Tsanyawa/Kunchi), Enugu (6% in Enugu South), and Zamfara (39% in Kaura Namoda) performed poorly, raising concerns about consistency across states. Such disparities undermine confidence and point to the need for stronger compliance mechanisms.
Strengthening Integrity Beyond Polling Units
While uploading polling unit results has improved transparency, the AEO stresses that Nigeria must go further:
Upload of Ward Collation Results: Publishing results at the ward level will allow stakeholders to track how polling unit figures are aggregated, reducing opportunities for manipulation during collation.
Upload of BVAS Accreditation Reports: Making accreditation data publicly available on IReV will strengthen the credibility of voter turnout figures, help detect anomalies, and provide a second layer of verification for the announced results.
Broader Implications
The by-elections prove that Nigeria has the tools for transparent elections. What is needed now is uniform application, expanded transparency beyond polling units, and stronger institutional accountability.
Conclusion
The AEO urges INEC to consolidate current gains by mandating complete uploads of polling unit results, ward collation results, and BVAS accreditation reports on IReV. Only then can Nigeria’s elections achieve the integrity and trust the public demands.
About the AEO Election Tracker
The AEO Election Tracker is a continuing series of real-time updates and analyses released during elections. It is designed to:
- Provide early, accurate, and independent information to the public.
- Flag emerging concerns such as violence, irregularities, or technology failures.
- Highlight positive improvements (e.g., timely IReV uploads, transparent collation).
- Recommend immediate corrective actions for INEC, security agencies, political parties, and observers.
- Through the Election Tracker, the Athena Election Observatory commits to being a reliable, authoritative voice in Nigeria’s democratic journey, strengthening transparency and public trust in every election cycle.
Sarah Eke
Program Lead
Athena Election Observatory (AEO)
Athena Centre for Policy and Leadership