Concerns are mounting over the credibility of Nigeria’s 2027 general election following a warning by Channels Television presenter Seun Okinbaloye that the process could be manipulated long before voters head to the polling stations.
Okinbaloye raised the concern during Friday’s edition of Politics Today, arguing that electoral malpractice does not necessarily begin on election day but can start much earlier through irregularities in the voters’ register.
He urged the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to address the alleged problems with its preliminary register, warning that failure to do so could undermine public confidence in the entire electoral process.
According to him, the integrity of an election depends heavily on the credibility of the register used to determine who is eligible to vote. He maintained that allowing questionable entries to remain could create opportunities for manipulation during the 2027 polls.
His comments come amid growing criticism of INEC’s preliminary voter register, which reportedly contains more than 103 million entries. Questions have been raised over suspected duplicate registrations, underage voters, deceased persons and entries allegedly containing AI-generated photographs.
The controversy took another turn on Friday when INEC’s Director of Information and Communication Technology, Lawrence Bayode, acknowledged during an appearance on Arise Television that some registration officials were responsible for introducing irregularities into the database. However, he reportedly said the commission was yet to establish their reasons.
INEC has maintained that the figures currently attracting public criticism are preliminary and should not be mistaken for the final voters’ register. The commission says verification, scrutiny and other corrective procedures are still underway.
The electoral body is expected to complete the process and certify the final register on December 15, 2026, ahead of the presidential election scheduled for January 16, 2027.
Okinbaloye is not the only prominent voice demanding greater scrutiny of the database. Former INEC National Commissioner Oluwole Osaze-Uzzi, former Vice President Atiku Abubakar, Labour Party figure Peter Obi and activist Omoyele Sowore have also called for a more thorough examination, including demands for a forensic audit.
With the 2027 election approaching, attention is increasingly shifting towards INEC’s ability to resolve the concerns before the final register is certified.
For many Nigerians, the issue goes beyond the number of registered voters. The bigger question is whether every name on the list represents a genuine, eligible voter and whether the commission can guarantee that the final register will be free from manipulation.
The credibility of the 2027 election may ultimately depend on how transparently and effectively INEC handles these concerns.
