Former Vice President Atiku Abubakar has threatened to take the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to court unless it identifies officials allegedly involved in manipulating the voters’ register and opens its sensitive election contracts to public scrutiny.
Atiku, who is also demanding an independent forensic examination of the electoral database, warned that simply removing questionable entries without investigating how they got into the system could conceal evidence of alleged internal compromise.
His demands came amid growing opposition concerns over reports that AI-generated photographs and fictitious information had allegedly been introduced into the national voters’ register by some registration officers ahead of the 2027 general elections.
In a statement issued on Friday by Phrank Shaibu, Director of Strategic Communication of the ADC Presidential Campaign Council, Atiku demanded that INEC preserve all voter records, image files, access logs and digital audit trails to enable independent experts to establish the extent of the alleged manipulation.
He called for accredited technical experts, political parties, civil society organisations and credible international observers to be allowed to examine the database, insisting that disputed records should not be certified until the forensic investigation was completed.
The former Vice President also questioned why INEC had not identified or suspended the officials allegedly responsible for the irregularities, despite acknowledging that its internal processes had been compromised.
He faulted the explanation attributed to INEC Chairman, Professor Joash Amupitan, through Boyode Lawrence, that the commission knew what its officials had done and how they tampered with the register but could not establish their reasons.
Atiku described the explanation as inadequate, arguing that the commission should be able to identify those involved and make available the evidence surrounding the alleged breach.
He also raised concerns over the security of INEC’s information technology infrastructure, questioning how officials could allegedly introduce questionable photographs and entries into the database without effective detection.
Another major concern raised by the former Vice President was INEC’s refusal to disclose the identities of companies contracted to produce sensitive election materials.
He argued that political parties and other stakeholders should know the companies handling such materials and the security arrangements governing their operations, warning that secrecy could further undermine confidence in the electoral process.
Atiku threatened to seek judicial intervention if the commission failed to provide the information and identify officials implicated in the alleged manipulation.
“If INEC refuses to disclose the truth, we will go to court and compel it. Every official found to have tampered with the register must be prosecuted,” he declared.
Separately, the African Democratic Congress (ADC) accused INEC of failing to comply with statutory requirements for the publication of the preliminary voters’ register, warning that the controversy could undermine preparations for the 2027 elections.
In a statement signed by its National Publicity Secretary, Bolaji Abdullahi, the party said the commission’s alleged failure to publish the register within the timeframe prescribed by Section 19(1) of the Electoral Act 2026 raised questions about its readiness to conduct credible elections.
The ADC said the provision requires INEC to make the preliminary register available for public scrutiny not later than 90 days before the general election, while Section 19(5) provides penalties for officials who fail to comply.
It also questioned why no arrests or prosecutions had followed the alleged introduction of AI-generated photographs into the register.
“If INEC knows that its own officials compromised the voters’ register with AI-generated photographs, why has nobody been arrested? Why have these individuals not been handed over for prosecution? What exactly is INEC waiting for?” the party asked.
The ADC further questioned whether the commission could be trusted to comply with other electoral safeguards, including the deployment of the Bimodal Voter Accreditation System (BVAS) and the use of serialised ballot papers during the elections.
It warned that the handling of the controversy could create uncertainty around the electoral timetable and potentially provide grounds for postponing the 2027 elections, despite assurances that the polls would hold as scheduled.
Both Atiku and the ADC called on INEC to address the allegations through transparency, independent scrutiny and prosecution of officials found culpable, insisting that public confidence in the 2027 elections would depend on verifiable safeguards rather than assurances from the commission.
