Become an election observer
On election day, ordinary Nigerians can help keep the process honest — simply by watching what happens at their polling unit and reporting it. Here's what it means, and how to sign up.
As an observer, you record what anyone standing at the polling unit can openly see — you don't confront anyone, and you don't need any special access.
- Did accreditation and voting start on time?
- Were officials and voting materials present?
- Could people vote freely, without interference?
- Was the count done openly, at the unit?
You report these by tapping simple answers on your phone. That's it.
You report as a private citizen — anonymously
You take part as a private citizen, not on behalf of INEC or any party. You sign up on Telegram, where we send you a personal code — we never ask your name or your phone number. When you report, your reports are anonymous: they're not linked to you, and we cannot tell who sent any report. You will never be named or identified.
Only report what's safe and openly visible
Only ever report what is publicly observable — things anyone present can see. Never put yourself at risk, never confront anyone, and step away from anything that feels unsafe. Your safety comes before any report.
How your reports are used
Reports are combined across many observers. We only report a pattern once several independent people at the same area agree — so no single report, and no single person, is ever singled out. Findings are shared at the local-government level, never tied to an individual unit or observer.
You sign up through our Telegram bot. We don't ask for your name or phone number. We ask which state you'll observe in — just to plan coverage, as a count that isn't tied to you — and you can choose to get a reminder before election day. We keep no record linking you to your code or your reports.
Sign up on TelegramThis opens @NigeriaVotesObserverBot in Telegram. Tap Start there to get your code.
Don't have Telegram?
Telegram is a free messaging app — a bit like WhatsApp. You'll need it to sign up, because it's how we send your code without ever asking for your name or number.
- Install Telegram free from the Play Store or App Store.
- Come back to this page and tap Sign up on Telegram above.
Telegram keeps you anonymous to us — that's why we use it. It takes a couple of minutes to set up, and you only need a phone number to create your own account (we never see it).