2027: INEC’s voter revalidation directive illegal — Sam Amadi, others

By Nnasom David

Abuja — The Director, Abuja School of Social and Political Thought, Sam Amadi, and other stakeholders have faulted the Independent National Electoral Commission’s (INEC) directive mandating the revalidation of registered voters, describing it as illegal, unnecessary, and a threat to credible elections ahead of 2027.

Amadi who was also a former chairman of the Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission, on Thursday at a briefing in Abuja, expressed concerns over INEC’s preparedness and public trust deficit following the 2023 general elections.

He said the proposed revalidation exercise would further erode confidence in the electoral body rather than rebuild it.

According to him, while INEC has statutory powers to update the voter register, compelling already registered voters to undergo a fresh validation process is not supported by law.

He argued that the Electoral Act only empowers the commission to correct errors, remove duplicates, and register new voters—not to mandate a blanket reconfirmation of voter status.

Amadi warned that the timing of the exercise, less than a year to the general elections, could disrupt INEC’s schedule and overlap with other critical electoral activities.

He added that the poor level of public awareness and prevailing distrust in the electoral system could worsen voter apathy.

He further raised concerns that the revalidation process could be manipulated to suppress votes in certain regions, noting that the lack of transparency in the exercise might make it difficult for Nigerians to independently verify participation data released by INEC.

“The supposed benefits of this exercise are far outweighed by the risks, including inefficiency, voter suppression, and further erosion of public trust,” he said.

He further urged INEC to rescind the directive.

Also speaking, a researcher, Paul Obi warned that proceeding with the exercise could trigger widespread electoral disputes and possible cancellations.

He argued that if courts determine that INEC lacks the legal authority to enforce voter revalidation, elections conducted using such a register could be invalidated.

Ibe noted that disenfranchising a significant number of voters through the process could undermine the legitimacy of elections across various levels, including governorship, National Assembly, and presidential polls.

In her remarks, Blessing Elaigwu, a student of the Abuja School of Social and Political Thought, said the exercise could open the door to both wrongful inclusion and exclusion of voters.

She warned that new, unverified data could compromise the integrity of the voter register, while legitimate voters risk being disenfranchised.

The stakeholders collectively called on INEC to redirect its focus toward ensuring that votes are freely cast, accurately counted, and transparently declared, stressing that these remain the core issues affecting electoral integrity in Nigeria.

They maintained that pursuing a controversial and legally questionable revalidation exercise would only deepen existing distrust in the electoral process ahead of the 2027 elections.

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