The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has missed the statutory deadline to publish the preliminary voters’ register on its website for public scrutiny ahead of the 2027 general elections, despite a legal requirement to make the register accessible both online and at registration areas.
Section 19(1) of the Electoral Act 2026 requires the commission to designate a seven-day period, not later than 90 days before a general election, for displaying or publishing copies of the voters’ register at every registration area and on its official website or another website established for that purpose.
The provision states: ‘Subject to the provisions of section 9 (6) of this Act, the commission shall, not later than 90 days to a general election, appoint a period of seven days during which a copy of the voters’ register for each Local Government, Area Council or ward shall be displayed or published for public scrutiny at every registration area and on its official website or any website established by the commission for that purpose.’
With the first set of elections approaching, the commission conducted a nationwide display of the preliminary voters’ register at registration areas between October 9 and 15, allowing registered voters to verify their details and identify errors.
However, the commission did not make the register available on its website within the period, as required by the Electoral Act.
The online portal for the preliminary voters’ register continued to display the message, ‘There are currently no preliminary registers to display. Please check back later,’ as of October 18.
PM News also visited the website, and found that the message remained unchanged.
INEC spokesperson, Mohammed Haruna, said the commission had displayed the register at registration areas for claims and objections and was compiling submissions to produce a clean copy for publication.
‘We published the voter register for claims and objections at our registration areas between October 9 and 15,’ he told PREMIUM TIMES.
‘Right now we are in the process of receiving and compiling the claims and objections to have a clean copy for publication by the 2026 Electoral Act deadline of December 15.’
However, when pointed out that the law also requires online publication, Haruna had yet to respond to a subsequent request for clarification.
A Lagos-based legal practitioner, Mujeeb Abdulwasiu, described INEC’s failure to publish the register online within the stipulated period as a breach of the law.
Mr Abdulwasiu said Section 19 requires the commission to make the register available both physically and online, adding that the statutory timeline was binding.
‘It’s clearly a breach,’ he said.
‘Not only that they are required to publish for public scrutiny, such publication is time bound.’
He added: ‘So two things, it is time-bound within 90 days to the general election, and not only that they are required to publish online, but they are also required to publish in each of the local governments.’
Section 19(5) of the Electoral Act also provides penalties for an INEC official who fails to display or publish the voters’ register as required.
Under the provision, an official found guilty of the offence faces up to six months’ imprisonment, a fine of N100,000, or both.
The preliminary voters’ register is a crucial stage in the electoral process, allowing registered citizens to verify that their names and personal details have been correctly captured before the register is finalised.
The exercise also enables voters to flag errors, challenge the inclusion of unqualified persons and seek the restoration of names wrongly omitted from the register.
Section 19 provides for claims and objections concerning the omission or inclusion of names, including those of deceased persons and other individuals deemed unqualified to register. It also requires INEC to receive and consider such complaints and make necessary corrections within 14 days following the display or publication of the register in accordance with the law.
The failure to publish the preliminary register online raises concerns about public access to the verification process and compliance with the legal safeguards established ahead of the 2027 elections.