- INEC Halts Voter Revalidation Exercise Nationwide
- ADC warns exercise could disenfranchise millions and suppress voter turnout
- Concerns grow as INEC shifts meeting online amid electoral controversy
The Independent National Electoral Commission has directed all Resident Electoral Commissioners to suspend preparations and publicity for the planned voter revalidation exercise.
The directive was conveyed in a letter dated April 4, 2026, and signed by the commission’s Secretary, Rose Oriaran-Anthony.
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EKO HOT BLOG reports that according to the notice, Resident Electoral Commissioners were instructed to halt all ongoing activities related to the exercise and await further directives from the commission.
INEC also announced that its meeting with Resident Electoral Commissioners, earlier scheduled to hold physically on April 9 at 11am, will now be conducted virtually via Zoom.
The development followed growing concerns raised by stakeholders, including political analysts and opposition parties, over the proposed revalidation exercise.
The commission had earlier introduced the nationwide exercise to sanitise the voter register by removing ineligible entries and strengthening the credibility of future elections.
However, the African Democratic Congress opposed the move, describing it as a threat to electoral participation.
In a statement signed by its National Publicity Secretary, Bolaji Abdullahi, the party warned that the exercise could disenfranchise millions of voters ahead of the elections.
The party argued that requiring voters to revalidate their details less than 10 months to the polls could suppress turnout, deepen voter apathy, and exclude citizens unable to travel to complete the process.
It also questioned the timing of the exercise, noting that its sudden introduction close to the proposed commencement date could raise concerns about electoral fairness.
The ADC cautioned INEC against actions that could be interpreted as enabling electoral manipulation.
