Odita Sunday 
INEC’S FAILURE TO PUBLISH THE VOTERS’ REGISTER: A DANGEROUS WARNING AHEAD OF 2027
By. Chris Okobah PhD
Factual and legal context: As of October 23, 2026, Amupitan remains listed as INEC chairman; amidst very strong allegations of partisanship by the opposition parties even though his actions contradicts his denials .  Reporting confirms the dispute concerns the absence of the register online, despite INEC’s claims of physical display and its assertion that it complied with the law. 
The growing controversy surrounding Professor Joash Amupitan, Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), including allegations of political partisanship and calls for his removal, has raised serious questions about public confidence in Nigeria’s electoral process.
Even more disturbing is INEC’s reported failure to publish the preliminary voters’ register on its official website within the period prescribed by Section 19(1) of the Electoral Act 2026.
The law is unequivocal. INEC is required to make the voters’ register available for public scrutiny at designated registration areas and online. This is not a discretionary administrative exercise. It is a statutory obligation designed to protect the integrity of our elections.
Although INEC claims to have displayed the register physically between October 9 and 15, 2026, reports that the online register remained unavailable raise serious questions about compliance with the law.
This is not a minor administrative omission. It is a fundamental issue of electoral transparency, accountability and the constitutional right of Nigerians to participate in credible elections.
How can citizens verify their registration details, identify fraudulent entries, challenge the inclusion of deceased persons or demand the correction of omissions when the electoral umpire fails to provide the legally required access?
Such circumstances create opportunities for electoral manipulation and disenfranchisement. While failure to publish the register does not, by itself, establish an intention to rig elections, it provides legitimate grounds for serious public concern.
INEC must understand that it cannot demand obedience to electoral laws from political parties and citizens while disregarding its own statutory obligations.
I therefore call for the immediate publication of the preliminary voters’ register, a transparent explanation for the reported failure to provide online access, and an independent examination of the Commission’s compliance with the Electoral Act.
The 2027 general elections must not become another exercise in electoral malfeasance, institutional impunity and the systematic erosion of public confidence.
Democracy begins long before election day. It begins with an accurate, accessible and verifiable voters’ register.
INEC must obey the law. Nigeria belongs to Nigerians, not to electoral officials or political interests.
Chris Okobah PhD
Legal Practitioner, award winning Author and Public Affairs Commentator
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