… Seeks Urgent Halt To Exercise
The Movement for Credible Elections (MCE) has condemned the proposed voter revalidation by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), saying that it’s a threat to the 2027 general elections.
The Movement which has sought urgent halt to the exercise, has in a statement on Sunday by the Head of National Secretariat, Olawale Okunniyi, noted that INEC’s objective of sanitizing the voters’ register may appear well-intentioned, but stated that in the interest of electoral integrity, fairness, and the electorate it’s firmly opposed to the proposed exercise.
The organization noted that at a period when Continuous Voter Registration (CVR) is ongoing, introducing an additional layer of voter revalidation reflects poor sequencing of electoral processes and raises serious concerns about the sincerity, intention, and agenda of the Commission.
The Movement urged Nigerians, civil society organisations, political stakeholders, and the international community to critically interrogate the initiative and demand accountability from INEC.
Some of the reasons MCE is opposing the initiative include: being ill-timed and operationally disruptive; poor publicity and eroding institutional trust; and potential for manipulation and selective disenfranchisement.
Other reasons are; lack of independent verifiability, inadequate window for claims and objections, deepening voter apathy and distrust and a departure from established electoral practice.
MCE stated that conducting a nationwide voter revalidation less than nine months to the general elections is not only ill-advised but administratively reckless.
The statement added, “The level of awareness surrounding this proposed exercise is grossly inadequate. At a time when public confidence in INEC is already at a historic low, introducing a poorly communicated process will only deepen suspicion and alienation among the electorate.
“The revalidation exercise creates a dangerous opening for manipulation. There’s a legitimate concern that unscrupulous elements within or around the system may exploit the process to suppress voter strength in certain regions under the pretense that affected citizens failed to revalidate.
“The Nigerian public has no independent means of verifying participation in the revalidation exercise. Citizens will be compelled to rely solely on data released by INEC, with no transparent audit trail or third-party validation framework.
MCE added, “Electoral laws provide for a period during which citizens can raise claims and objections following the publication of the voters’ register. However, the compressed timeline between the proposed revalidation register and the final register raises serious doubts about whether this constitutional safeguard can be meaningfully exercised. A rushed process will inevitably compromise the integrity of the register.
“Rather than inspiring confidence, this sudden and poorly justified exercise is likely to exacerbate voter apathy. Nigerians, already disillusioned by previous electoral experiences, may interpret the revalidation as an unnecessary hurdle or even a deliberate attempt to complicate their participation in the democratic process. Trust, once eroded, is difficult to rebuild.
“Historically, INEC has consistently undertaken periodic clean-up of the voters’ register, including removal of duplicates, deceased persons, and correction of anomalies, without requiring citizens to undergo a fresh revalidation process. “The Permanent Voter Card (PVC), by design, is meant to be enduring. Introducing revalidation at this stage contradicts established practice and raises questions about the Commission’s consistency and institutional memory.”
MCE urged INEC to focus on strengthening the ongoing Continuous Voter Registration process, undertake its statutory responsibility of cleaning the voters’ register using established administrative and technological mechanisms without imposing additional burdens on citizens.
“Rebuild public trust through transparency, stakeholder engagement, and adherence to global best practices.
“Nigeria’s democracy cannot afford another burdensome and shady experiment at this critical juncture. The integrity of the voters’ register mustn’t be compromised.”
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