ADC accuses INEC of sabotage, demands forensic audit of voters' register

The African Democratic Congress (ADC) has accused the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) of deliberately undermining preparations for the 2027 general elections, warning that repeated lapses could create a pretext for shifting the polls.

The opposition party made the claim in a statement on Friday signed by its National Publicity Secretary, Mallam Bolaji Abdullahi.

At the centre of the dispute is the voters' register. The ADC said INEC had admitted that some of its own registration officers were behind irregularities in the register, including photographs suspected to have been generated by artificial intelligence and fictitious entries.

The party asked why no one had been arrested or handed over for prosecution over those entries.

If INEC knows that its own officials compromised the voters' register with AI-generated photographs, why has nobody been arrested?

The ADC also said INEC missed the deadline set by Section 19(1) of the Electoral Act 2026, which requires the preliminary register to be published online for public scrutiny at least 90 days before the election. Section 19(5) provides for a fine, imprisonment or both for officials who fail to meet that requirement, the party noted.

Why it matters for voters

The voters' register is the list that decides who can vote and where. If it contains fake entries or is published late, Nigerians have less time to check their names and correct errors before election day. That directly affects whether people can vote in 2027.

The ADC said it found it hard to understand how a commission with at least three years to prepare could not produce a credible register that meets the law.

The party questioned whether the failures should be put down to incompetence or seen as deliberate acts of sabotage. It also asked whether INEC could be trusted to use the Bimodal Voter Accreditation System (BVAS) and serialised ballot papers on election day if it was already disregarding the law.

If INEC can disregard the Electoral Act today, what assurance do Nigerians have that it will obey the law on Election Day?

The ADC demanded an independent forensic audit of the register to verify questionable entries, investigation of the officials allegedly involved, and a full public explanation from INEC.

The Federal Government has repeatedly denied any plan to postpone the 2027 elections. The ADC said the register controversy has deepened its suspicion that the commission's actions could eventually be used to justify a shift in dates.

What happens next

Much depends on whether INEC answers the ADC's demands: publishing the register, explaining the delay and saying what action it has taken against the officers blamed. With the 2027 elections approaching, pressure on the commission is likely to grow.