The Situation Room Electoral Accountability Tracker (SEAT) is a public, data-driven platform that tracks the implementation of electoral reform recommendations and stakeholder performance across Nigeria’s electoral process. It provides evidence-based insights into how key stakeholders are responding to identified gaps in the electoral process.

SEAT was created to track the performance of electoral stakeholders against predefined standards and commitments. SEAT exists to address a critical gap in Nigeria’s electoral process: the lack of a central, sustained and accessible system for tracking electoral reforms and stakeholder

accountability.While election observation reports often generate strong recommendations, implementation is typically fragmented, short-lived and difficult for citizens to track. SEAT ensures that these recommendations are not lost after elections but are continuously monitored, analysed and used to drive reform

• Weak follow-through on electoral reform recommendations
• Limited public access to structured accountability data
• Fragmented and reactive accountability efforts
• Declining public trust in electoral institutions
By consolidating data and making it publicly accessible, SEAT enables sustained accountability beyond election cycles.

• Strengthen transparency in electoral processes
• Hold institutions accountable for reform commitments
• Support early identification of electoral risks
• Enable data-driven advocacy and policy engagement
• Build public trust in democratic institutions

Unlike traditional election observation which is often time-bound, SEAT:
• Tracks pre-election, election-day and post-election developments
• Monitors implementation of recommendations over time
• Provides continuous, real-time or periodic updates
• Links data directly to advocacy and reform processes

SEAT tracks recommendations from:
• The 2023 General Elections
• 2023 Bayelsa, Imo and Kogi off-cycle elections
• 2024 Edo and Ondo off-cycle elections
• 2025 Anambra off-cycle election
• Situation Room Credibility Threshold for the 2027 General Elections

Recommendations in the SEAT are grouped into 16 thematic areas:
1. Legal Framework
2. Electoral Administration
3. Election Technology
4. Election Security
5. Voter Registration
6. Political Parties and Candidates
7. Political and Campaign Finance
8. Media (including social media and digital rights)
9. Participation of PWDs, Women and Marginalised Groups
10. Election Observation
11. Election Results Management
12. Electoral Offences and Electoral Dispute Resolution
13. Diaspora and IDP Voting
14. Civic Education / Voter Education
15. Peacebuilding and Conflict Prevention
16. Stakeholder Coordination & Oversight

SEAT tracks recommendations directed at the following stakeholders:
1. INEC, including permanent and ad hoc staff
2. Security Agencies (Police/Civil Defence – NSCDC/Military)
3. National Assembly (NASS)
4. National Orientation Agency (NOA)
5. Media Organisations
6. Political Parties
7. Please change this to Judiciary/Election Tribunals
8. Civil Society Organisations (CSOs)
9. Religious Institutions
10. Development Partners/Observer Groups
11. The Presidency

Each recommendation is assessed based on its level of implementation using a colour-coded system:
• Green – Fully implemented
• Orange – Partially implemented
• Yellow – In progress
• Red – Not implemented
• Brown – Not applicable

Implementation status is determined using publicly available information, including:
• Official reports and statements
• Verified media reports
• Stakeholder publications and engagements
• Independent expert analysis

SEAT draws from:
• Field observers and civil society networks
• Situation Room partner reports
• Media monitoring and social listening
• Official documents from INEC and other institutions
• Political party and campaign finance disclosures

Frequency indicates how often a recommendation appears across credible post-election reports within a specific election cycle.

This measures whether a recommendation recurs across different election cycles. It may be classified as:

• Verified – supported by independent evidence across multiple cycles
• Indicative – suggested by available reports but not independently confirmed

Electoral Integrity Indicators are measurable benchmarks used to assess the quality of elections. These indicators are aligned with:
• The Electoral Act
• Situation Room’s Credibility Threshold
• Regional and international frameworks (e.g. ECOWAS, AU, EU standards)

SEAT can be used to:
• Track reform progress
• Support advocacy campaigns
• Inform media reporting and analysis
• Guide policy engagement with institutions
• Educate citizens on electoral accountability

Yes. SEAT includes an early warning-early response function that identifies emerging electoral risks, triggers alerts and analysis, supports timely advocacy and stakeholder engagement.

Yes. SEAT is specifically designed to strengthen data-driven advocacy by providing credible, structured evidence for engaging institutions and pushing for reforms.

No. SEAT is an evidence-based accountability tool. It does not endorse political actors but provides data to support informed public and institutional engagement.

SEAT is designed as a long-term accountability tool and will be sustained through:
• Integration into the Nigeria Civil Society Situation Room’s ongoing election observation work.
• Continuous partnerships with civil society, media and technology organisations.
• Dedicated funding for data systems, analysis and platform maintenance.

Yes. SEAT is specifically designed to operate before, during and after elections, ensuring that accountability is continuous and not limited to election cycles.

SEAT will be updated periodically through:
• Monthly tracking
• Pre-election and post-election scorecards
• Ongoing data inputs from monitoring and reporting systems

Yes. SEAT has the potential to expand over time, including the development of sub-national accountability trackers, to deepen monitoring and strengthen accountability at state and local levels.

By consistently tracking recommendations and stakeholder performance, SEAT:
• Maintains reform momentum between election cycles
• Highlights persistent gaps
• Provides evidence for legislative and institutional reforms
• Supports preparation for future elections, including 2027 and beyond

SEAT integrates recommendations across multiple election cycles and links them to forward-looking frameworks such as Situation Room Credibility Threshold for the 2027 General Elections. This ensures that reform tracking is cumulative and not isolated.

SEAT matters because credible elections do not end with voting; they depend on sustained accountability. By making electoral performance visible and measurable, SEAT helps ensure that commitments are honoured, reforms are implemented and Nigeria’s democracy continues to strengthen over time.