SOLA OJO, Kaduna; FRANCIS OKOYE, Maiduguri; ABDULLAHI OLESIN, Ilorin and ADEBAYO WAHEED, Ibadan
The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has come under criticism over the credibility of its purportedly cleaned voters’ register ahead of the 2027 general elections, with the Northern Youth Council of Nigeria (NYCN) and a civil society observer demanding greater transparency and accountability.
The president of NYCN, Isah Abubakar, alleged that the commission had compromised the process by inflating the register with millions of questionable entries to favour the ruling party.
Abubakar described the development as a threat to the integrity of the forthcoming elections, arguing that the credibility of the voters’ register remained fundamental to ensuring a free, fair and transparent electoral process.
He also faulted the appointment process of the INEC chairman, saying the president’s exclusive power to appoint the electoral umpire created a structural flaw that undermined the commission’s independence.
“When a sitting president holds the sole power to appoint the electoral umpire, he effectively becomes a referee in his own match,” he said.
The NYCN president called on the INEC chairman to tender an unreserved apology to Nigerians over what he described as an attempt to pre-rig the 2027 elections.
He further argued that the commission’s accountability remained questionable because its chairman answers to the same executive that appointed him.
Abubakar urged Nigerians to remain vigilant and take responsibility for safeguarding the country’s democracy, stressing that the ultimate defence of the ballot rested with citizens across polling units nationwide.
Shuaib said the cleaning exercise was a positive step but insisted that INEC must provide verifiable evidence of the changes made to the register to rebuild public confidence.
“Trust comes from proof. INEC must show what was removed, what was added, and allow public verification,” he said.
He also called on the commission to apologise to Nigerians if errors, duplicate entries or underage names were discovered in the register, noting that such an apology would not constitute weakness but a necessary step towards restoring confidence in the electoral process.
According to him, the register would only be trusted when it is transparent, displayed for claims and objections, and openly cleaned before the 2027 elections.
The two stakeholders maintained that transparency, accountability and citizens’ vigilance were critical to protecting the integrity of the 2027 general elections.
On their part, the African Democratic Congress (ADC) in Kaduna State expressed reservations about the credibility of the cleaned voters’ register.
The party, through the chief press secretary and the spokesman to its gubernatorial candidate, Rt. Hon. Isa Muhammed Ashiru and Abdulwaheed Olayinka Adubi, said the controversy surrounding what has been described as an AI-generated voters’ register had raised serious questions about the commission’s neutrality, transparency and institutional credibility.
Adubi said INEC should apologise to Nigerians over the controversy and go beyond issuing explanations by identifying the lapses, providing a convincing account of what went wrong and outlining concrete measures to address them.
However, the publicity secretary of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Kaduna State, Sani Bello, neither answered his calls nor responded to messages sent to his mobile phone as at the time of filing this report.
In Borno State, the African Democratic Congress (ADC), Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC) and some voters in Maiduguri, also raised concerns over the alleged appearance of AI-generated images in the voters’ register, questioning the credibility of the electoral process ahead of the general elections.
The parties and voters said the development, if confirmed, could further undermine public confidence in the electoral umpire and cast doubts on the integrity of the voters’ register.
Speaking on the controversy, NDC spokesman in Borno State, Aliyu AK-Balarabe, said INEC must urgently explain the circumstances surrounding the alleged AI-generated images and reassure Nigerians that the voters’ register remains authentic and reliable.
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He said the credibility of the register was central to the conduct of free, fair and transparent elections, urging the commission to open its processes to greater public scrutiny.
Similarly, the director of Communication of the ADC in Borno State, Bukar-Bukar Petrol, said the alleged discovery of AI-generated images had deepened concerns over INEC’s capacity to conduct credible elections.
According to him, the development was disturbing because it could further erode public confidence in the electoral process.
In Kwara State, the former president of the Nigeria Political Science Association (NPSA), Prof Hassan Saliu criticised INEC for starting the cleaning of the voters’ register only after pressure from concerned Nigerians.
Saliu, who teaches Political Science at the University of Ilorin, Kwara State, said INEC had prepared the ground for public concerns when it said its earlier register was a preliminary register.
He said beyond offering apology to Nigerians, INEC should brace up by applying more due diligence to its work.
In his reaction, the director-general of the Kwara State Action Democratic Congress (ADC) Campaign Council, Alh Mas’ud Adebimpe said INEC needed to prove to Nigerians that it is not being tele-guided by someone following the discovery of fictitious names in the voters’ register.
Adebimpe said the unfortunate development has further reinforced the calls by eminent Nigerians for a more independent approach of appointing the INEC chairman.
“They have not proved to Nigerians that they are actually independent because we have seen instances where INEC acted as if they are being instructed by someone
“This is the reason why some eminent Nigerians are calling for a truly independent way of appointing INEC chairman,” he said.
In Oyo State, the Yoruba Youth Socio-Cultural Association, however declared that Nigerians still believe in INEC, adding that its clean-up exercise was necessary.
“Moreover, just as new people are registering, some of those who registered years ago are also dying.
“INEC therefore has no option but to carry out verification to identify the names of the deceased and remove them from its portal. Nigerians are aware of this fact.”
However, an election observer, Dr Bamidele Olanlehin, said trust has long been a concern in Nigeria’s electoral process, with many Nigerians skeptical of the electoral umpire.
He said INEC’s adoption of technology and other innovations initially raised expectations.
“INEC’s adoption of technology and other innovations initially raised expectations that the 2023 election would strengthen public confidence.
“However, the infamous technical glitch, which remained unresolved before the results were declared, significantly undermined trust in the commission,” he said.
While noting that the appointment of INEC’s new chairman prompted several allegations, including claims that Prof Joash Amupitan (SAN) represented President Tinubu and the APC in the last presidential election and that he operated a Twitter, now X, account promoting the president’s interests, he said both claims were debunked.
“These allegations signaled that both the new chairman and INEC would face heightened scrutiny. Nigerians are likely to closely assess the commission’s actions and omissions against electoral laws and its own regulations.
“Against this backdrop, Nigerians have raised concerns about the voter register for the 2027 elections. Section 19(1) of the Electoral Act 2026 requires INEC, within the legally prescribed period, to publish the register on its official website and display it at every registration area for seven days for public scrutiny.
“INEC has reported more than 103 million registered voters, but many Nigerians question this figure because turnout on election day has rarely reached half of the listed electorate,” he said.
