- Atiku Abubakar accused INEC of leaving its online voters' register portal blank during the announced October 9 to 15 public scrutiny window
- The ADC presidential candidate cited two conflicting official statements about when the public display of the register was completed
- Atiku also raised concerns about a provision in the Electoral Act 2026 that allows unmarked ballot papers to be counted under certain conditions
Abuja, FCT - Former Vice President Atiku Abubakar has called on the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to immediately publish the preliminary voters' register, warning that its absence from the commission's portal during a scheduled public inspection period is a threat to the credibility of the 2027 general elections.
Atiku made the demand in a statement issued on Thursday, October 22, 2026, by Phrank Shaibu, Director of Strategic Communication of the African Democratic Congress Presidential Campaign Council, on behalf of the ADC's presidential candidate.
Source: Twitter
Atiku said Nigerians who visited INEC's portal during the announced October 9 to 15 scrutiny window found nothing displayed.
"INEC has announced more than 103 million registered voters. Nigerians went to its portal to inspect the names and found an empty page. That is an outrage," he said.
He argued that Section 19(1) of the Electoral Act 2026 requires the register to be displayed both at registration areas and online, and that the commission had no discretion to treat that obligation as optional.
Atiku Alleges Conflicting Statements From INEC
Atiku also questioned what he described as contradictory communications from the commission. He noted that INEC's chairman reportedly said on October 5 that the public display had already been completed, yet Nigerians were later told it would run from October 9 to 15.
"Which statement is true? Where was the register published? For seven full days, or for no days at all? INEC must produce the dates, the links and the records of access," he said.
He further raised concerns about Section 63(2) of the Electoral Act 2026, which allows a returning officer to count a ballot paper without INEC's official mark if satisfied it came from a book supplied to the polling unit. Atiku said the provision lacked adequate safeguards and called on the National Assembly to close what he described as a loophole that leaves ballot authenticity to an officer's unverified judgement.
The statement also noted that INEC had not publicly disclosed the identity of companies contracted to print sensitive election materials.
Atiku Addresses Tinubu Directly
Turning to President Bola Tinubu, Atiku said:
"You cannot hide their names from scrutiny and then ask them to trust the election conducted with that list. Nigerians have the right to inspect the register, challenge false entries and correct omissions. If that right is denied, we will challenge it in the open and through every lawful means available."
He called on Nigeria's international partners, election observers, and democratic institutions to publicly pressure INEC to comply with the law before election day, saying transparency ahead of the vote is as essential as scrutiny of results afterwards.
Atiku urged the commission to publish the register by local government, area council, and ward, and to provide a full explanation of the conflicting dates surrounding the display exercise.
Atiku's ADC-PCC Accuses Kwankwaso of Advancing Tinubu's Interests
Meanwhile, Legit.ng earlier reported that the ADC-PCC hit back at Senator Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso, accusing him of working in the interest of President Tinubu's administration by calling on Atiku to withdraw from the 2027 presidential race in favour of Peter Obi.
Kola Ologbondiyan, the ADC-PCC's Director of Media and Publicity, made the accusation recently while responding to comments Kwankwaso made during an interview on Channels Television. Ologbondiyan argued that rather than challenging the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), the former Kano state governor was directing his energy at a fellow opposition candidate.
Source: Legit.ng