Former Vice-President Atiku Abubakar has called on the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to immediately publish Nigeria’s preliminary voters’ register, raising concerns over public access to the list ahead of the 2027 general election.
Atiku, the presidential candidate of the African Democratic Congress (ADC), made the demand in a statement issued on Thursday, October 22, 2026, through Phrank Shaibu, Director of Strategic Communication of the ADC Presidential Campaign Council.
He alleged that Nigerians who attempted to inspect the register through INEC’s online portal during the announced public inspection period could not access the list.
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The former vice-president said the reported difficulty had raised questions about transparency and the ability of registered voters to verify their details before the next general election.
INEC Announces 103 Million Registered Voters
The demand follows INEC Chairman, Professor Joash Amupitan’s announcement on October 5 that Nigeria’s national register of voters had surpassed 103 million.
According to the commission, the figure followed the completion of the three-phase Continuous Voter Registration (CVR) exercise, which recorded 10,772,421 new registrations, alongside a final biometric cleanup using the Automated Biometric Identification System (ABIS).
INEC had also said the public display of the preliminary register for claims and objections had been completed.
However, Atiku questioned the arrangements for public inspection, alleging that the online register was inaccessible during the period Nigerians were expected to scrutinise their details.
He also sought clarification over the dates announced for the exercise, pointing to a reported discrepancy between the commission’s October 5 announcement and the October 9–15 inspection period.
“INEC has announced more than 103 million registered voters. Nigerians went to its portal to inspect the names and found an empty page,” Atiku said, according to reports of his statement.
He argued that announcing the total number of registered voters was not enough without allowing individuals to confirm that their names and personal details had been correctly recorded.
Atiku Seeks Register by Local Government and Ward
Atiku urged INEC to publish the preliminary voters’ register in an accessible format, organised by local government area, area council and ward.
He said voters should have a meaningful opportunity to check their records, identify possible omissions or incorrect entries and seek corrections through the appropriate procedures.
The ADC presidential candidate also called on the electoral commission to clarify the dates and arrangements for the inspection exercise and provide information showing when and where the register was made available.
Public scrutiny of the voters’ register is an important part of election preparation because it allows eligible citizens and other authorised parties to identify potential errors before polling day.
Atiku further urged international partners, election observers and democratic institutions to press INEC to make the register accessible and provide clear explanations about the process.
Beyond the voters’ register, the former vice-president raised questions about Section 63(2) of the Electoral Act 2026, which concerns the treatment of ballot papers that do not bear the commission’s official mark.
Atiku called on INEC to explain the safeguards it would use to authenticate such ballot papers and ensure that political parties could challenge questionable ballots through established procedures.
He also requested greater transparency over companies contracted to print sensitive election materials, including information about their identities and the procurement arrangements.
These concerns formed part of his wider call for greater transparency in the administration of the 2027 general election.
However, the allegations and questions raised by Atiku do not, on their own, establish that the voters’ register has been manipulated or that electoral fraud has occurred.
As of Thursday, October 22, reports on Atiku’s demand had not established a specific response from INEC addressing his allegations about the accessibility of the online register during the stated inspection period.
The commission’s earlier announcement confirmed that the national voters’ register had exceeded 103 million after the registration exercise and biometric cleanup. It had also said the preliminary register’s public display had been completed.
The outstanding issue raised by Atiku is whether voters could effectively access the register during the relevant period and whether the commission can provide a clear explanation of the inspection arrangements.
With the 2027 general election approaching, the publication and verification of voter records remain important to ensuring that eligible citizens can confirm their registration details before voting.
