Fmr. Vice-President Atiku Abubakar.
The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) may face legal action over alleged irregularities in the preliminary voter register as threatened by former Vice-President Atiku Abubakar who further demanded the identification and prosecution of officials implicated in the exercise.
Abubakar also demanded an independent forensic audit of the register and disclosure of companies contracted to produce sensitive election materials ahead of the 2027 general elections.
The demand followed INEC’s disclosure that some registration officers across the country allegedly abused their access to the Commission’s registration system to introduce questionable records, including photographs generated through Artificial Intelligence (AI).
INEC’s Director of Information and Communication Technology, Dr. Lawrence Bayode, made the disclosure on Friday during an interview on Arise Television.
He said the Commission discovered the irregularities through its Automated Biometric Identification System (ABIS), which was deployed to examine the voter registration database.
Bayode explained that while some of the photographs were AI-generated, others resulted from poor registration procedures.
He, however, said the Commission had established how some of the questionable records entered the database but could not determine the motives of the officers involved.
Reacting to the disclosure, Abubakar described the development as a serious breach of public trust, questioning how officials entrusted with protecting the electoral process could compromise the integrity of the voter register.
In a statement issued on Friday by Phrank Shaibu, Director of Strategic Communication of the African Democratic Congress (ADC) Presidential Campaign Council, the former Vice-President accused INEC of failing to provide adequate explanations for the alleged misconduct.
Abubakar specifically questioned the Commission’s explanation that it knew what its officials did and how they tampered with the register but could not establish why they did so.
Said Abubakar: “Professor Joash Amupitan through Bayode Lawrence says INEC knows what its officers did and how they tampered with the register, yet claims it does not know why. That is a disgraceful evasion, not an answer”.
He argued that the security of the voter registration database should be stronger than that of ordinary social media and email accounts, given its importance to the country’s electoral process.
The former Vice-President demanded that INEC disclose the evidence of the alleged manipulation, identify all officials involved and explain why those implicated had not been suspended or prosecuted.
He also called for an independent forensic audit of the register, citing allegations that more than 20 million AI-generated images might have been involved.
Abubakar urged the Commission to preserve all voter records, image files, access logs and audit trails to prevent the destruction or alteration of evidence.
He proposed that accredited independent experts, political parties, Civil Society Organisations and credible international observers be allowed to examine the database.
Said he: “No disputed record should be certified until the audit is complete”.
The former Vice-President also raised concerns over what he described as INEC’s refusal to disclose the identities of companies contracted to produce sensitive election materials.
He said opposition parties should have access to information about the contractors and the security protocols governing their operations.
Stated he: “If the APC government knows who is handling these materials and what protocols apply, opposition parties must receive the same information. Publish the contractors’ identities and explain the safeguards governing their work”.
Abubakar warned that he would approach the courts to compel INEC to disclose the requested information if the Commission failed to act.
Stressed he: “If INEC refuses to disclose the truth, we will go to court and compel it. Every official found to have tampered with the register must be prosecuted”.
He also called on opposition leaders and the international community to demand transparency, accountability and an independent examination of the voter register.
Abubakar accused President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s administration of allowing the INEC to evade scrutiny over the controversy.
He warned that the Commission could not expect Nigerians to trust the electoral process while withholding information about the alleged compromise of the voter database.
Said he: “The credibility of the 2027 election is on the line”.
Meanwhile, INEC has maintained that the published register is preliminary and not the final certified version.
The Commission said it had identified and flagged questionable records during the physical display of the register at Registration Areas nationwide between October 9 and 15.
It also said it had commenced verification and data-cleaning exercises ahead of the certification of the final Register of Voters scheduled for December 15, 2026.
