INEC’S PROPOSED VOTER REVALIDATION EXERCISE: WRONGHEADED, POROUS, THREATENS 2027 ELECTIONS
…MCE, ORGANIZED CIVIL SOCIETY LEADERS DEMAND URGENT HALT
The Movement for Credible Elections (MCE) has carefully reviewed the recent announcement by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) regarding its intention to embark on a nationwide voter revalidation exercise ahead of the 2027 general elections.
While we acknowledge that the stated objective of sanitizing the voters’ register may appear well-intentioned, we are compelled, in the interest of electoral integrity, fairness, and the electorate to firmly oppose the proposed exercise.
At a period when Continuous Voter Registration (CVR) is ongoing across the country, 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 therefore calls on Nigerians, civil society organisations, political stakeholders, and the international community to critically interrogate this initiative and demand accountability from INEC.
WHY NIGERIANS MUST SAY NO TO THE PROPOSED REVALIDATION EXERCISE
1. Ill-Timed and Operationally Disruptive:
The proposed exercise is coming far too late in the electoral cycle. Conducting a nationwide voter revalidation less than nine months to the general elections is not only ill-advised but administratively reckless. Such a massive undertaking will inevitably overlap with other critical pre-election activities, including logistics planning, staff training, voter education, and election deployment frameworks. This risks overburdening the Commission and undermining its overall capacity to deliver credible elections if indeed the Commission is genuine
2. Poor Publicity and Eroding Institutional Trust:
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. Electoral legitimacy is not merely procedural; it is perceptive. Without broad public understanding and buy-in, this exercise risks further delegitimizing the ongoing electoral process.
3. Potential for Manipulation and Selective Disenfranchisement:
The revalidation exercise creates a dangerous opening for manipulation. There is 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. In a politically sensitive environment, such a mechanism could become a tool for engineered voter suppression and exclusion
4. Lack of Independent Verifiability:
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. This opacity undermines accountability and opens the door for data manipulation, whether deliberate or systemic.
5. Inadequate Window for Claims and Objections:
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.
6. Deepening Voter Apathy and Distrust:
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.
7. Departure from Established Electoral Practice:
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.
CONCLUSION AND DEMAND
The Movement for Credible Elections maintains that electoral credibility is built on transparency, predictability, inclusiveness, and trust. Any process that introduces uncertainty, opacity, or potential disenfranchisement and exclusion is anti democratic and can not be respected by Citizens
We therefore call on INEC to:
1. Immediately suspend plans for the proposed voter revalidation exercise.
2. Focus on strengthening the ongoing Continuous Voter Registration process.
3. Undertake its statutory responsibility of cleaning the voters’ register using established administrative and technological mechanisms without imposing additional burdens on citizens.
4. 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 must not be compromised by wrongly timed and manipulable interventions.
Happy Easter!
Signed:
Olawale Okunniyi
(Veteran Che)
Head of National Secretariat,
For: Movement for Credible Elections (MCE)
Sunday, 5th April 2026
