RismadarVoice Reporters
October 31, 2026
A former Director of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Oluwole Osaze-Uzzi, has warned that irregularities in Nigeria’s voter register could undermine the credibility of the 2027 general elections unless urgent corrective measures are taken.
Osaze-Uzzi raised the concerns on Friday during an interview on Channels Television’s Politics Today, where he called for a comprehensive audit and cleanup of the electoral database.
According to him, the integrity of the voter register remains fundamental to conducting transparent, credible and acceptable elections.
He argued that the presence of questionable entries could weaken public confidence in the electoral process and create opportunities for electoral malpractice.
The former INEC director identified the registration of deceased persons, underage voters and individuals with multiple records as issues requiring urgent attention.
He maintained that failure to address such irregularities could expose the 2027 elections to disputes similar to those that followed the 2023 general elections.
Osaze-Uzzi urged the commission to undertake a thorough review of its database and ensure that only eligible voters appear on the final register.
He also emphasised the importance of public scrutiny, calling for the register to be made accessible to Nigerians before the elections.
His remarks follow concerns over suspicious photographs, including images suspected to have been generated using artificial intelligence, appearing in INEC’s preliminary voter register.
In response, the electoral commission acknowledged that questionable records had been identified and were undergoing verification and correction.
INEC explained that the preliminary register published online on October 26 was the same version displayed physically across registration areas nationwide between October 9 and 15.
The commission stressed that the document was not the final certified register and that its publication was intended to allow citizens and other stakeholders to identify errors and submit objections.
INEC has scheduled December 15, 2026, for the certification of the final voter register, following the completion of verification and data-cleaning exercises.
The commission also reported receiving thousands of claims and objections during the public review process.
Meanwhile, Osaze-Uzzi maintained that addressing identified weaknesses before the elections would be essential to strengthening public trust in the electoral system.
Although irregularities have been identified in the preliminary register, their full extent has not been independently established.
The credibility of the final register will therefore depend on the effectiveness and transparency of INEC’s ongoing verification and correction processes.
