INEC under fire over failure to publish preliminary voters’ register online

The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has come under scrutiny after failing to publish the preliminary voters’ register on its website for public verification within the period stipulated by the Electoral Act 2026 ahead of the 2027 general elections.

The commission conducted a nationwide display of the preliminary register at registration areas between October 9 and 15, allowing registered voters to verify their details, identify errors and submit claims and objections.

However, the register was not made available online within the same period, despite a statutory requirement for the commission to provide access both physically and through its official website.

Section 19(1) of the Electoral Act 2026 requires INEC to designate a seven-day period, not later than 90 days before a general election, for displaying or publishing copies of the voters’ register at every registration area and on its official website or another website established for that purpose.

The provision states that the commission “shall, not later than 90 days to a general election,” appoint a seven-day period during which the register for each local government, area council or ward must be made available for public scrutiny.

INEC’s timetable schedules the presidential and National Assembly elections for January 16, 2027, while governorship and state Houses of Assembly elections are slated for February 6, 2027.

As of October 18, the commission’s online portal for the preliminary register still displayed the message: “There are currently no preliminary registers to display. Please check back later.”

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Checks by NationalDailyNG.com found that the message remained unchanged, raising questions about compliance with the legal requirement for online publication.

INEC spokesperson, Mohammed Haruna, said the commission had displayed the register at registration areas to enable voters to submit claims and objections and was compiling the submissions ahead of publication.

“We published the voter register for claims and objections at our registration areas between October 9 & 15,” Haruna said.

He added that the commission was processing the submissions to produce a clean copy for publication by December 15, 2026, which he described as the deadline under the Electoral Act.

However, Haruna had yet to respond to a subsequent request for clarification on why the register was not published online during the seven-day period, as required by law.

A Lagos-based legal practitioner, Mujeeb Abdulwasiu, described the failure to publish the register online within the stipulated period as a breach of the Electoral Act.

“It’s clearly a breach,” he said, stressing that the publication requirement was subject to a statutory timeline.

“Not only that they are required to publish for public scrutiny, such publication is time bound.”

Abdulwasiu further argued that the law required INEC to make the register available online and at registration areas across the country.

Section 19(5) of the Electoral Act also prescribes penalties for an INEC official who fails to display or publish the voters’ register as required.

Under the provision, an official found guilty of the offence faces up to six months’ imprisonment, a fine of N100,000, or both.

The preliminary voters’ register is a critical stage in the electoral process, enabling registered voters to confirm that their names and personal information have been accurately captured before the register is finalised.

It also allows citizens to challenge the inclusion of unqualified persons, report the names of deceased individuals and seek the restoration of names wrongly omitted from the register.

The law requires INEC to receive and consider claims and objections relating to the inclusion or omission of names and make necessary corrections within 14 days following the display or publication of the register in accordance with the Act.

The failure to provide online access to the preliminary register has raised concerns about transparency, public participation and the commission’s compliance with electoral safeguards ahead of the 2027 general elections.

With the elections approaching, attention is now focused on whether INEC will address the publication issue and ensure that voters have adequate access to the register to verify their details before the final version is produced.