INEC admits voter register irregularities as opposition demands forensic audit before Dec 15 certification
INEC's ICT Director Lawrence Bayode confirmed Friday that registration officers across states introduced irregular entries into the voter database, including AI-generated photographs. The commission says it has removed identified irregularities and will complete corrections before certifying the final register on December 15. The register currently stands at over 103 million voters.
Atiku Abubakar and the African Democratic Congress (ADC) demanded an independent forensic audit, preservation of all voter records and audit trails, and disclosure of companies contracted for sensitive election materials. Atiku's team cited unverified claims of over 20 million AI-generated images. The Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC) separately demanded answers about reports of deceased persons remaining on the register and clear objection procedures. Paul Ibe, Atiku's media adviser, warned INEC against quietly "cleaning up" the register and burying evidence.
Beyond the register crisis, INEC upheld 66 of 130 nomination petitions (41 of 69 governorship, 25 of 61 state assembly). In Imo, a Federal High Court ordered APC to submit Rochas Okorocha's name for Imo West Senate ticket, challenging Governor Hope Uzodimma's claim. President Tinubu defended his $20.52 billion and €1.045 billion supplementary borrowing plan for highways, power and port upgrades, now under Senate committee review. The PDP's Bayelsa chair confirmed the party backs Tinubu through the Rainbow Coalition while retaining its own presidential candidate Sandy Onor.
Clashes marked campaign trails: Omoyele Sowore and police gave conflicting accounts of an incident at an Ado-Ekiti restaurant; Amadeo Event Centre in Enugu said an NDC event with Peter Obi breached a conference booking agreement; and Katsina police arrested 14 suspects over Wednesday's attack on APC supporters traveling to the Tinubu-Dikko rally in Funtua.
With register certification weeks away and multiple election disputes unfolding, will INEC's cleanup satisfy opposition demands for transparency, or will the courts become the next battleground for 2027 credibility?