Dar es Salaam. Former Tanzanian Ambassador to Cuba, Humphrey Polepole, has ignited a political storm after alleging that the ruling Chama Cha Mapinduzi (CCM) has integrated its digital systems with those of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) and the National Identification Authority (Nida) to guarantee electoral victory, claims both institutions have dismissed.
Speaking late on August 22, 2025, Mr Polepole alleged that CCM’s networks were directly linked to Nida and INEC, enabling the party to access voter details and secure an advantage even before ballots were cast.
But leaders of both state bodies rejected the assertions, stressing that no political party has access to their platforms and describing the allegations as baseless.
Polepole, once a trusted CCM insider and former legislator, claimed that systems he had helped design were now being repurposed in ways that compromised electoral fairness.
“These systems, which I helped design, are integrated, from the party to Nida, and to the Electoral Commission,” he said.
According to him, the alleged linkages allow CCM operatives at the grassroots level to demand personal details from civil servants, including voter card information and national ID numbers.
“Civil servants themselves can confirm this, people approach them and demand their details,” he added.
He argued that although the systems were initially created with good intentions, they had since been turned into tools of manipulation.
“Anyone with IT knowledge should verify where our systems link. There’s a cable running from the party to Nida, and from the party to the Electoral Commission,” he claimed.
INEC pushes back
The allegations drew a categorical response from INEC Chairman, Justice Jacobs Mwambegele, who insisted that the Commission’s systems remained independent and beyond the reach of any political party.
“There is none. We are an independent Commission. And integrating systems is not something that can be hidden, any technical expert could easily detect it,” said Justice Mwambegele.
He questioned the logic of the claim: “Even if such integration existed, how would it guarantee victory? Our systems do not involve electronic voting.”
Justice Mwambegele stressed that INEC had already shared the Permanent Voters’ Register with all political parties, both digitally and in hard copy, since July 27, 2025.
“Our systems are not linked to any political party. This debate about integration is unfounded, and the public should not believe it,” he said.
Nida distances itself
Nida also dismissed the claims outright, with the Director General James Kaji saying there was no evidence to support Polepole’s remarks and challenged him to clarify whether he had ever worked with the authority.
“There is no such thing. Perhaps he should clarify his remarks; maybe he has prior experience with Nida, but as far as the Authority is concerned, no such integration exists,” Kaji told The Citizen’s sister newspaper Mwananchi.
CCM’s silence
While INEC and Nida issued strong rebuttals, CCM itself remained silent. Efforts by Mwananchi to reach senior leaders, including Secretary General Ambassador Emmanuel Nchimbi and Secretary for Ideology, Publicity and Training Amos Makalla, were unsuccessful. Calls went unanswered, and text messages received no response.
The silence has fuelled speculation about how the ruling party intends to address Polepole’s claims, particularly given his past prominence as a party spokesperson and strategist.
Echoes of past debates
Polepole’s remarks revive long-standing debates over the independence of Tanzania’s electoral institutions.
Opposition parties and civil society groups have often accused CCM of enjoying structural advantages, from access to state resources to perceived bias in electoral management.
While such allegations have frequently lacked hard evidence, they have nonetheless shaped public perceptions.
Analysts warn that in a political environment where institutional trust is fragile, even unverified claims risk eroding confidence further.
The timing of Polepole’s remarks, barely months before the 2025 general election, could heighten anxieties.
INEC has invested heavily in digital reforms to strengthen transparency, while Nida plays a crucial role in verifying voter identity.
Any suggestion that these systems are compromised could undermine confidence not only in the electoral process but also in state institutions more broadly.
For CCM, the dilemma is clear: responding risks amplifying Polepole’s message, while silence risks appearing evasive.
For INEC and Nida, the task is to reassure the public that their systems remain secure, independent, and transparent.
