Former Vice-President Atiku Abubakar has demanded the immediate publication of Nigeria’s preliminary voters’ register containing more than 103 million registered voters, warning that failure by the Independent National Electoral Commission to make the register available for public scrutiny could undermine confidence in the 2027 general elections.
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Atiku said Nigerians were entitled to inspect the register, challenge questionable entries and seek the correction of omissions before the elections.
In a statement issued on Thursday by the Director of Strategic Communication of the African Democratic Congress Presidential Campaign Council, Phrank Shaibu, Atiku questioned why Nigerians who attempted to inspect the voters’ register through INEC’s online portal were unable to 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. A figure cannot answer an objection. A press announcement cannot tell a voter whether her name has been omitted. Show Nigerians the register,” he said.
INEC had announced that Nigeria’s National Register of Voters had risen to more than 103 million following the completion of its Continuous Voter Registration exercise and biometric clean-up ahead of the 2027 elections.
The Commission also announced a seven-day public scrutiny exercise from October 9 to 15, 2026, during which registered voters were expected to inspect the preliminary register, raise objections to questionable entries and report omitted names.
Atiku, however, said INEC’s failure to make the register available online during the exercise violated the Electoral Act 2026 and raised questions about the transparency of the process.
“I cannot recall a more brazen invitation to distrust the voter register. INEC announced a seven-day exercise and then failed to make the register available on the portal provided for public scrutiny,” he said.
He cited Section 19(1) of the Electoral Act 2026, which requires INEC, not later than 90 days before a general election, to appoint a seven-day period during which the voters’ register for each Local Government, Area Council or Ward should be displayed or published for public scrutiny at registration areas and on the Commission’s official website or another website designated for that purpose.
Atiku consequently urged the electoral commission to publish the register in a manner that would enable Nigerians to scrutinise it by local government, area council and ward.
He also demanded clarification over what he described as conflicting statements concerning the timing of the public display of the register.
“Worse still, INEC’s chairman said on October 5 that the public display had already been completed. Nigerians were subsequently told it would take place from October 9 to 15. Which statement is true? Where was the register published? For seven full days, or for no days at all?” he asked.
Atiku called on INEC to disclose the dates, online links and access records relating to the publication of the preliminary register so Nigerians could establish when and where it was made available for scrutiny.
He maintained that access to the register was necessary to enable voters and political parties to determine whether eligible persons had been omitted, whether questionable names had been included and whether registered voters remained properly captured.
Beyond the voters’ register, Atiku also raised concerns about the authentication of ballot papers under the Electoral Act 2026.
He cited Section 63(2), which permits a returning officer to count a ballot paper without INEC’s official mark where the officer is satisfied that the ballot originated from a book of ballot papers supplied to the presiding officer of the polling unit concerned.
Atiku questioned the safeguards available to prevent abuse of that provision.
“What evidence will establish that origin? Who will verify it, and how will parties challenge a false claim?” he asked.
He called on INEC to establish enforceable safeguards against counterfeit ballots and urged the National Assembly to address any loophole that could leave the authenticity of a ballot paper dependent solely on the assurance of an electoral official.
“INEC must set out enforceable safeguards against counterfeit ballots, and the National Assembly must close any loophole that leaves the authenticity of a vote to an officer’s unsupported assurance,” he said.
The statement also raised concerns over information concerning companies contracted by INEC to print sensitive election materials, saying questions about the contractors had yet to be answered.
Atiku maintained that the ADC and its presidential candidate, as stakeholders in the 2027 presidential election, were entitled to demand information about procedures capable of affecting the credibility of the electoral process.
He said Nigerians could not reasonably be expected to trust an electoral process conducted with a voters’ register that they were not given an adequate opportunity to scrutinise.
“You will not add an unseen voters’ register to their suffering and call it a route to another four years in office.
“You cannot hide their names from scrutiny and then ask them to trust the election conducted with that list. Nigerians have the right to inspect the register, challenge false entries and correct omissions. If that right is denied, we will challenge it in the open and through every lawful means available,” the statement read.
Atiku argued that restricting access to the voters’ register could create room for manipulation by preventing voters from determining who had been added to or removed from the list and whether their own names remained on the register.
“That door must be shut now. Publish the register by local government, area council and ward. Explain the conflicting dates. Give voters the full opportunity the law provides to challenge false entries and restore omitted names,” he said.
The former Vice-President also called on international partners, election observers and democratic institutions to demand transparency from INEC before election day rather than waiting until after voting had taken place.
“Do not wait until election day to ask whether this contest is credible. Demand access to the voters’ register now. Ask how every ballot paper will be authenticated. Transparency before the vote is as essential as scrutiny of the results afterwards,” he said.
Atiku maintained that the ability of voters to verify their names on the electoral register formed part of the foundation of their right to participate in elections.
“The right to vote begins with the right to know that your name is on the list. INEC must stop hiding behind a blank screen. Publish the register. Open it to scrutiny. Answer the country,” he said.
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