Former INEC Commissioner Urges Publication of Revised Voter Register by December 15

As Nigeria prepares for the 2027 general elections, the integrity of the voter register has emerged as a central point of contention. Mike Igini, a former Resident Electoral Commissioner (REC) of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), has publicly urged the electoral body to republish a revised and corrected version of the voter register no later than December 15.

Addressing the Voter Register Cleanup

The call follows a recent announcement by INEC, in which the commission disclosed that over 1,608,660 invalid registrations had been purged from the system. This move came in response to widespread public and political scrutiny regarding the accuracy of the preliminary register, which had previously faced criticism for containing irregularities, including instances of AI-generated photographs.

Speaking on Channels Television’s The Morning Brief, Igini commended the current INEC Chairman, Joash Amuipitan, for taking the step to acknowledge the errors. According to Igini, admitting to these flaws is a necessary component of election management, as the register serves as the foundational document for any credible democratic process.

The Necessity of Public Interrogation

Igini, who is also a legal practitioner, emphasized that the current Electoral Act mandates the publication of the voter register at the ward level. He argued that simply removing invalid entries is insufficient; the updated register must be made accessible to the public for scrutiny.

The publication on the website will give Nigerians the opportunity to interrogate because INEC processes must be subject to openness and interrogation.

By placing the corrected register back on the commission’s website before the final printing process begins, Igini suggests that INEC can foster a greater sense of transparency. He specifically identified December 15 as a critical deadline for this action to ensure that the public has adequate time to review the document before it is finalized for the 2027 polls.

Accountability and Election Integrity

Beyond the technical aspects of the register, Igini raised broader concerns regarding the culture of accountability within the electoral system. He noted that election manipulation often begins at the registration stage, where bad actors attempt to populate the rolls with fraudulent data. He advocated for stringent sanctions against those found responsible for compromising the integrity of the register, suggesting that the absence of consequences for such actions undermines the stability of the state.

While the cleanup process is reportedly ongoing, Igini maintained that it is premature to express full satisfaction with the commission’s efforts. He stressed that the ultimate goal of these administrative corrections is to build public trust, which remains a vital requirement for the success of the upcoming election cycle.

Conclusion

The demand for a republished voter register reflects the ongoing pressure on INEC to demonstrate its commitment to a transparent electoral process. As the December 15 deadline approaches, the commission faces the task of balancing its internal cleanup operations with the public’s demand for verified and accessible electoral data.

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p class=”vbna-source-note”>Source: Channels Television

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