2027: As INEC’s Credibility Hangs in the Balance
Although the Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Professor Joash Amupitan, has initiated moves to clean up irregularities in the voter register, questions about the commission’s sincerity and
As the credibility of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) hangs in the balance ahead of the 2027 elections, questions continue to arise about the commission's dedication to ensuring a fair and transparent voting process. Chairman Prof Joash Amupitan has taken steps to address voter registration irregularities, removing 1,608,660 invalid registrations through the automated biometric identification system (ABIS) for the 2025 and 2026 Continuous Voter Registration (CVR) exercise.
However, concerns about INEC's sincerity remain high, with allegations of AI-generated photographs, duplicate registrations, and fictitious voter identities surfacing. These concerns were exacerbated by the discovery of irregularities during the CVR exercise, which resulted in the display and subsequent online publication of the preliminary voter register in October 2026. Allegations of suspicious voter records circulating on social media further fueled doubts about the integrity of the electoral process.
Amupitan announced that 54 INEC officials linked to manipulation of the voter registration in 10 states would face legal consequences. Additionally, 873 records belonging to verified deceased persons were removed, bringing the total number of records deleted to 1,609,553. Despite INEC's assurances that the voter register is not the final certified one, and that investigations are underway, the unprecedented increase in registered voters has raised fears of a potential plot to rig the elections and secure votes for the ruling APC parties.
Critics argue that the inexplicable surge in registered voters in certain states controlled by the ruling APC, such as Edo and Akwa States, suggests an attempt to manipulate the electoral landscape in their favor. In Rivers State, for instance, the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, has set an ambitious target of three million votes for President Bola Tinubu, despite the 2023 election yielding only 231,591 votes.
This sharp increase in projected voter support has fueled speculation and skepticism around the fairness of the upcoming 2027 elections.
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