By 
Citizen-Built Platform Opens Access to Electoral Data After INEC Fee Controversy
A free, open-access platform now puts Nigeria’s complete polling unit database at the fingertips of every citizen. CredibleVoteNG, built by two Nigerian tech enthusiasts, arrives just as the nation prepares for the 2027 elections.
RELATED: Election season heightens insider threats and cybercrime risks, security company warns
The platform’s debut comes months after public backlash followed a decision by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to charge ₦1.5 billion for releasing similar information under the Freedom of Information (FOI) Act—a move widely criticised by civil society groups and transparency advocates.
What CredibleVoteNG Offers
CredibleVoteNG offers verified electoral geography data for every polling unit, ward, local government area, state, and the FCT. The platform is completely free and open to citizens, journalists, political parties, and election observers. It puts Nigeria’s electoral map—and the power to scrutinise it—in the hands of the public.
Key Platform Facts:
- Coverage: 176,846 polling units, 8,809 wards, and 774 Local Government Areas across the 36 states and the FCT
- Access Model: Fully open—no registration, subscriptions, or API keys required
- Target Users: Political parties, civil society organisations, journalists, researchers, developers, and voters
According to its creators, the platform was designed to remove cost barriers and enable data-driven election monitoring, logistics planning, and civic participation.
Background: The INEC Fee Controversy
In October 2025, INEC approved a request for Certified True Copies (CTCs) of the National Register of Voters and polling unit records at a cost of ₦1,505,901,750.
The Commission defended the charge, stating that it reflected the cost of reproducing over six million pages of records—citing ₦250 per page for approximately 6,023,607 pages in line with FOI and Electoral Act provisions.
However, organisations such as the Media Rights Agenda (MRA) and other legal experts argued that the fee effectively restricted public access to essential electoral data and undermined transparency.
Why the Platform Was Built
The founders of CredibleVoteNG say the controversy exposed a deeper gap in Nigeria’s electoral ecosystem: the absence of a freely accessible, searchable, and machine-readable polling unit database.
The platform was co-founded by Kelly Omobude, who built the infrastructure and database architecture, and Uzoanya Grant, who led product development and design.
They noted that while polling unit data technically existed, it was difficult for most users to obtain or analyse in a practical digital format.
How the Platform Works
CredibleVoteNG allows users to navigate Nigeria’s electoral structure from the national level down to individual polling units. Data is organised by state, local government area, and ward, with search and retrieval enabled through an open Application Programming Interface (API).
The developers disclosed that:
- The project received no external funding
- It has been maintained using personal resources
- The platform has been live since March 2026
- User growth has occurred organically, without formal publicity
Use Cases for Voters, Media, and Election Observers
For voters, the platform enables independent verification of polling unit locations and boundaries—an issue that often arises in election disputes and litigation.
Election monitoring organisations can significantly reduce the time spent compiling polling unit lists. Journalists can leverage the database for data-driven reporting, result verification, and real-time election dashboards.
Political parties may also use the platform to improve polling agent deployment, identify coverage gaps, and better understand polling unit distribution across communities.
Polling Unit Distribution Snapshot
Available data show wide variations in polling unit distribution:
- Lagos: 13,325 polling units
- Kano: 11,222
- Kaduna: 8,012
- Rivers: 6,866
- Oyo: 6,390
- Anambra: 5,720
- Bayelsa: 2,244
- Ekiti: 2,445
Strengthening Election Transparency
The founders emphasised that CredibleVoteNG is strictly non-partisan and equally accessible to all stakeholders.
“Independent observation requires independent data. When everyone works from the same verified baseline, that becomes the foundation for credible accountability,” they said.
As Nigeria moves closer to the 2027 elections, initiatives like CredibleVoteNG highlight the growing role of civic technology in strengthening electoral transparency, public trust, and democratic participation.
