Our Mission
I DEY VOTE exists to empower every Nigerian citizen to participate in democracy, hold leaders accountable, and solve community problems together. We are not a gossip forum, a hate channel, or a propaganda machine. We are a civic tool — and that means every interaction must serve the public good.
Golden Rule: Before you post, ask yourself: "Does this help Nigerians make informed decisions, solve a real problem, or hold power to account?" If the answer is no, reconsider.
Our Core Values
Truth Over Noise
We value verified facts over viral rumours. Every claim must be backed by evidence.
Respect Across Difference
Nigeria is diverse. We debate ideas, not attack people. Ethnic, religious, and personal slurs have no place here.
Accountability, Not Abuse
Criticise policies and performance fiercely. Do not threaten, doxx, or incite violence against anyone.
Solutions, Not Just Complaints
Reporting problems is essential. Proposing solutions is even better. We reward constructive engagement.
Content Standards
All content on I DEY VOTE — polls, civic cases, comments, shares, and messages — must meet the following standards. Content that falls short may be removed, and repeat violations may result in account suspension.
What We Encourage
- Verified Information: Civic cases backed with photos, videos, documents, or official references. Polls based on real policy positions or public records.
- Constructive Debate: Disagreement is welcome. Explain why you disagree, cite sources, and keep it about the issue.
- Local Context: Specify your state, LGA, and ward when reporting issues. Precision helps solutions happen faster.
- Respectful Language: Even when you are angry about bad governance, express it without dehumanising language.
- Solution-Oriented Posts: When reporting a bad road, suggest who should fix it and how citizens can pressure them.
What We Do Not Allow
- Hate Speech: Content that attacks or demeans any group based on ethnicity, religion, gender, disability, or tribe. This includes coded language, slurs, and stereotypes.
- Incitement to Violence: Any call for physical harm, destruction of property, or mob action against individuals, groups, or institutions.
- Misinformation & Disinformation: Knowingly false claims presented as fact, especially about elections, public health, or security. This includes doctored images and out-of-context videos.
- Defamation: Unproven criminal allegations against named individuals. "This politician stole money" without evidence is defamation, not accountability.
- Harassment & Bullying: Targeted abuse, repeated unwanted contact, doxxing (sharing private information), or coordinated attacks on individuals.
- Spam & Manipulation: Repeated identical posts, fake engagement (buying likes/comments), bot activity, or artificially inflating poll results.
- Graphic Content: Uncensored images or videos of extreme violence, gore, or sexual content. Civic cases involving violence must be flagged and blurred.
- Illegal Activity: Content promoting fraud, drug trafficking, terrorism, or any violation of Nigerian law.
Civic Case Reporting Guidelines
Civic cases are the backbone of I DEY VOTE. A good case leads to action. A bad case wastes everyone's time. Here is how to report effectively:
Before You Report
- Verify the issue yourself. Do not report based on hearsay. Visit the location, speak to affected people, or gather official documents.
- Search existing cases. If someone has already reported the same pothole on the same road, verify their case instead of creating a duplicate.
- Gather evidence. Take clear photos or videos. Screenshot official documents. Record dates and names where possible.
Writing a Strong Case
- Title: Be specific. "Bad Road on Ojuelegba Bridge, Lagos" is better than "Road is bad."
- Description: Explain what is wrong, who is responsible (if known), how long it has been happening, and who is affected.
- Location: Pin the exact location on the map. Include state, LGA, ward, and landmark.
- Evidence: Upload at least one image or video. Cases without evidence are deprioritised and may be rejected.
- Tags: Use relevant tags (Infrastructure, Health, Education, Security, Environment) so the right people see it.
False Reporting: Deliberately filing false cases to earn points or damage reputations is a serious violation. It wastes verification resources, misleads the public, and may expose you to legal liability. Offenders face permanent bans and potential prosecution.
Comment & Interaction Rules
Comments are where democracy happens in real time. Keep them productive:
- Stay on topic. Comments should relate to the poll, case, or post at hand. Off-topic rants may be removed.
- No personal attacks. Criticise ideas and actions. Do not insult someone's intelligence, appearance, family, or background.
- No spam or self-promotion. Do not use comments to advertise products, services, or other platforms unless explicitly relevant.
- No coordinated harassment. Organising groups to mass-report, mass-downvote, or mass-insult a user is prohibited.
- Respect moderators. If a moderator removes your comment, do not repost it. Use the appeals process instead.
Mention Feature: You can mention other users with @username. Use this responsibly. Mass-mentioning users who have not consented to be tagged is considered harassment.
Political Content & Campaigning
I DEY VOTE is a neutral platform. We do not endorse candidates or parties. Users are free to discuss politics, but the following rules apply:
- No unverified claims about candidates. "Candidate X took a bribe" requires evidence. "I believe Candidate X is corrupt based on [specific documented incident]" is acceptable opinion.
- No campaign spam. Posting the same campaign message across multiple polls or cases is spam. Use the official advertising platform for promotion.
- No voter suppression. Content that discourages voting, spreads false election dates, or claims voting is rigged without evidence is prohibited.
- Official accounts only. Candidates and parties may operate verified accounts. Impersonating a candidate or party is fraud and will be reported to law enforcement.
- Polls must be fair. When creating a poll, include all major candidates or options. Loaded or misleading poll questions may be edited or removed.
Electoral Act Compliance: All political content must comply with the Electoral Act 2022. Content that violates INEC guidelines, promotes violence during elections, or spreads election misinformation will be removed and may be reported to authorities.
Moderation & Enforcement
We use a combination of AI detection, community reporting, and human review to enforce these guidelines. Here is how it works:
| Violation Level | Examples | Enforcement Action |
|---|---|---|
| Minor | Off-topic comment, mild profanity, low-quality case report | Content removed + warning message. No point deduction. |
| Moderate | Repeat minor violations, mild misinformation, personal insults | Content removed + 3-day posting restriction + 200-point deduction. |
| Serious | Hate speech, targeted harassment, deliberate misinformation, false case reports | Content removed + 30-day suspension + 1,000-point deduction + account review. |
| Severe | Incitement to violence, terrorism, child exploitation, coordinated bot attacks | Immediate permanent ban + all points forfeited + referral to law enforcement. |
How Reporting Works
- Community Report: Any user can report content by clicking the flag icon. Reports are anonymous to the reported user.
- AI Flagging: Our systems automatically flag content that matches patterns of hate speech, misinformation, or graphic content.
- Human Review: All serious and severe violations are reviewed by a trained moderator before action is taken. AI flags on minor content may be actioned automatically.
- Transparency: If your content is removed, you receive a notification explaining which rule was violated and how to appeal.
Appeals Process
We are not perfect. If you believe your content was removed or your account penalised unfairly, you have the right to appeal.
- How to appeal: Go to your notification centre, find the enforcement action, and click "Appeal." You have 14 days from the action to file an appeal.
- What to include: Explain why you believe the decision was wrong. Provide context, links, or evidence that supports your position.
- Review time: Appeals are reviewed by a senior moderator within 5 business days. During appeal review, any suspension is paused.
- Final decision: The senior moderator's decision is final for that specific case. However, you may appeal again if new evidence emerges.
- No retaliation: Appealing a decision does not increase your penalty. We encourage users to challenge decisions they believe are wrong.
Independent Review: For severe violations resulting in permanent bans, you may request an independent review by our Community Council — a panel of verified users and civil society representatives. Council decisions are binding.
Privacy & Safety
Your safety is our priority. Here are specific rules around personal information and user safety:
- No doxxing: Publishing someone's home address, phone number, workplace, family details, or private messages without consent is a severe violation.
- No non-consensual intimate imagery: Sharing private photos or videos of a sexual nature without consent results in immediate permanent ban and law enforcement referral.
- Protect minors: Users under 18 are not permitted on I DEY VOTE. If you encounter a minor, report the account immediately. Do not engage with them.
- Impersonation: Creating accounts that mimic public figures, other users, or I DEY VOTE staff is fraud and will result in permanent ban.
- Phishing & scams: Any attempt to trick users into sharing passwords, OTPs, or financial information is a severe violation.
Frequently Asked Questions
Our moderation system relies on community reports and AI detection. If a violating comment has not been reported, it may not have been reviewed yet. You can report any content you believe violates our guidelines. We do not play favourites — every reported piece of content is reviewed against the same standards.
Absolutely. Criticising policies, performance, and public records is central to what I DEY VOTE is for. The line is drawn at unproven criminal allegations, hate speech, and incitement. "This policy failed because [evidence]" is civic engagement. "This politician is a thief with no proof" is defamation.
Contact support immediately at [email protected]. If you can prove the account was compromised (e.g., login from an unusual location, password reset evidence), we will reverse any penalties and help you secure your account. We recommend enabling two-factor authentication.
No. Our moderation team is trained to enforce guidelines without political bias. Moderators are prohibited from moderating content about candidates or parties they publicly support. All serious enforcement actions are reviewed by at least two moderators. Political advertising and content are governed by the same rules for all parties.
Yes, you can delete your own content at any time. However, if the content was already reported and is under review, deleting it does not stop the review process. If a violation is confirmed, penalties still apply even if the content was deleted.
Go to the user's profile and click "Report User." Select "Harassment" and provide details. You can also block the user, which prevents them from viewing your profile, commenting on your posts, or messaging you. For severe threats, contact [email protected] immediately.
Trust & Safety Team
Our Trust & Safety team is available to answer questions, review enforcement decisions, and investigate serious safety concerns.
- General Guidelines Questions: [email protected]
- Safety & Harassment: [email protected] (monitored 24/7 for severe threats)
- Appeals: [email protected]
- Law Enforcement: [email protected] (for official requests only)
- Emergency: If you or someone else is in immediate physical danger, contact the Nigerian Police (112 or 199) before contacting us.
Last Updated: June 4, 2026 | Version: 1.0 | Effective Date: June 4, 2026
These guidelines are living documents. We review and update them quarterly based on community feedback, legal changes, and platform evolution. All users will be notified of material changes at least 7 days in advance.