Former Vice-President Atiku Abubakar has called on the Independent National Electoral Commission to make Nigeria’s preliminary voters’ register publicly accessible ahead of the 2027 general elections.
Atiku, the African Democratic Congress presidential candidate, expressed concern over the alleged inaccessibility of the register during the inspection exercise scheduled for October 9 to 15, 2026.
In a statement issued on Thursday by Phrank Shaibu, Director of Strategic Communication of the ADC Presidential Campaign Council, Atiku said the public needed access to the register to identify missing names, correct errors and challenge suspected fraudulent entries.
He alleged that voters who visited INEC’s online portal during the announced period could not access the list.
“INEC has announced more than 103 million registered voters. Nigerians went to its portal to inspect the names and found an empty page. That is an outrage,” he said.
Atiku questioned the commission’s communication regarding the inspection exercise, citing an alleged statement by the INEC chairman on October 5 that the public display had already been completed.
He urged the commission to clarify the conflicting dates and provide evidence of when and where the register was made available.
“Nigerians were subsequently told it would take place from October 9 to 15. Which statement is true? Where was the register published?” he asked.
The former vice-president called for the publication of the register by local government area, area council and ward to enable voters to verify their information and seek corrections before the election.
He cited Section 19(1) of the Electoral Act 2026, which he said requires the register to be displayed at registration areas and online for public scrutiny.
Atiku also raised concerns about Section 63(2) of the Act, which provides for a ballot paper without the commission’s official mark to be counted if a returning officer is satisfied that it came from a book supplied to the relevant polling unit.
He called on INEC to explain the measures it would adopt to authenticate such ballot papers and ensure political parties could challenge questionable votes.
“Nigerians cannot be denied access to the voters’ register before election day and then be asked to accept unmarked ballot papers after voting,” he said.
Atiku further urged the commission to disclose the identities of companies awarded contracts to print sensitive election materials, alleging that inquiries on the matter had not received a response.
He also appealed to international partners, election observers and democratic institutions to press INEC to ensure transparency in the electoral process.
“Transparency before the vote is as essential as scrutiny of the results afterward,” he said.
INEC Chairman, Joash Amupitan, had announced on October 5 that Nigeria’s national voters’ register had surpassed 103 million following the completion of the three-phase Continuous Voter Registration exercise and a biometric cleanup.
The commission subsequently scheduled October 9 to 15 for the display of the preliminary register to allow claims and objections ahead of the 2027 general elections.
