Following vehement protest, the Independent National Electoral Commission has directed all Resident Electoral Commissioners to step down all publicity and arrangements for the planned voter revalidation exercise.
The INEC directive is coming amid concerns by stakeholders, including political scientists and the opposition, over the exercise.
A letter addressed to RECs, dated April 4, 2026, and signed by its Secretary, Rose Oriaran-Anthony, asked the RECs to await further directives from the commission.
The notice said the meeting of the commission with RECs, scheduled for April 9 at 11am will now hold via zoom.
INEC had announced a nationwide revalidation exercise aimed at sanitising the voter register by removing ineligible entries and strengthening the credibility of future elections.
Recall that only at the weekend, the African Democratic Congress alleged that the voter revalidation exercise would be a “recipe for chaos” as it could disenfranchise millions of Nigerians ahead of the elections.
ADC in a statement signed by its National Publicity Secretary, Mallam Bolaji Abdullahi, argued that requiring already registered voters to revalidate their details less than 10 months to the polls would suppress turnout, deepen voter apathy and unfairly exclude those unable to travel.
ADC also questioned why such a major exercise is emerging just days to its proposed commencement, cautioning the INEC against actions that could be perceived as aiding “electoral manipulation.”
It urged the commission to abandon the plan and reassure Nigerians of its commitment to a credible and inclusive electoral process.
“Coming less than ten months to a general election, such an exercise risks disenfranchising millions of Nigerians. It is already difficult enough to get citizens to register to vote in the first place. To now require them to return and “revalidate” their registration is, in effect, to ask them not to bother at all,” the party said.
A faction of the Peoples Democratic Party led by Kabiru Tanimu Turaki, described the timing of the planned voter revalidation exercise as “suspicious”.
Its National Publicity Secretary, Ini Ememobong, said the exercise was seen as an attempt to disenfranchise many Nigerians.
“The timing of the exercise is suspicious, especially with the manner the commission has been acting. The question is, why now? Why wasn’t it done a year or two ago? This can be seen as an attempt to disenfranchise Nigerians,” he said.
‘It’s ploy to reduce North’s voting strength’
Similarly, a group, known as Concerned Former Legislators, in a statement titled, ‘A Call to Northern Stakeholders on the Proposed PVC Revalidation Exercise’ and signed by Hon. Ayuba Mohammed Bello, said any policy that creates the impression of selective disenfranchisement must be approached with extreme caution.
The statement was addressed to the Arewa Consultative Forum (ACF), the Arewa Elders Forum (AEF), the League of Northern Democrats (LND), the Northern Governors Forum, the Northern Caucuses in the National Assembly, traditional institutions across the 19 northern states, Muslim and Christian clerics, youth and students organisations, northern political pressure groups as well as former Heads of State, Generals Yakubu Gowon (Rtd), Ibrahim Badamasi Babangida (Rtd) and Abdulsalami Abubakar (Rtd) “whose voices still carry immense moral authority in shaping national direction.”
According to the group, “There is a growing and widespread perception across the North that this revalidation exercise is not merely administrative, but strategically timed and structured in a way that could significantly reduce the voting strength of the region ahead of the 2027 general elections.
“We write this as a matter of urgent collective concern that touches the very foundation of our democratic participation and political relevance as a people.”
The group called on all northern leaders and institutions to rise above silence and act in defence of democratic fairness.
“If, for any reason, INEC insists that revalidation is necessary, then fairness demands that the exercise be suspended until after the 2027 general elections, or it can be conducted only when security conditions have significantly improved, allowing full participation. Anything short of this risks undermining the credibility of the electoral process,” it added.
INEC has, however, explained that the exercise is designed to strengthen, not restrict, participation in the electoral process.
Director of Voter Education and Publicity, Victoria Eta-Messi, explained that the objective of the exercise was to improve the quality of the voter register.
“Far from it, please. The expected outcome of the exercise is to have a more credible register of voters,” she said.
