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INEC suspends Voter Revalidation amid rising concerns

Published

6 months ago

April 6, 2026

Participants at the Training-of-Trainers workshop ahead of the Nationwide Voter Revalidation Exercise, held at The Electoral Institute (TEI) of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) in Abuja in March

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The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has directed all Resident Electoral Commissioners (RECs) to step down all publicity and arrangements for the planned voter revalidation exercise.

The directive came amid concerns by stakeholders, including political scientists and the opposition, over the exercise.

A letter addressed to RECs, dated April 4, 2026, signed by its Secretary, Rose Oriaran-Anthony, asked them 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.

The INEC had announced a nationwide revalidation exercise aimed at sanitising the voter register by removing ineligible entries and strengthening the credibility of future elections.

Opposition rejects exercise

The African Democratic Congress (ADC) yesterday alleged that the voter revalidation exercise would be a “recipe for chaos” as it could disenfranchise millions of Nigerians ahead of the elections.

In a statement signed by National Publicity Secretary, Mallam Bolaji Abdullahi, the party 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.

The 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 faction of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), led by Kabiru Tanimu Turaki, described the timing of the planned voter revalidation exercise as “suspicious”.

Its National Publicity Secretary, Ini Ememobong, told Daily Trust yesterday that 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’

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 organizations, 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.

Political scientists caution against disenfranchisement

Political scientists, who spoke to Daily Trust, cautioned against disenfranchising eligible voters.

Dr Mohammed Alada of the University of Ilorin said voter revalidation is necessary to update the voters’ register in line with realities such as deaths, relocation of voters and other demographic changes.

He, however, warned that the exercise must not be implemented in a way that becomes burdensome for citizens.

“While revalidation is necessary because of issues of deaths, relocation and other situations that might arise, it should not be done as a form of conscription,” he said.

Alada cautioned against compressing the exercise into a very short timeframe, noting that inadequate timelines could create logistical challenges and reduce effective participation.

He said, “Within a very short time, not up to four weeks, perhaps about three weeks, many factors can hinder the process, including awareness, logistics, and institutional limitations.

An Associate Professor of Political Science at Al-Hikmah University, Ilorin, Sikiru Lanre Nurudeen, said electoral processes must prioritise inclusiveness and broad participation, warning against any framework that could exclude eligible voters.

He said voter revalidation and updates to the register should be handled in a way that ensures credibility while also guaranteeing maximum participation.

He said the register should be continuously updated to reflect deaths, new eligible voters and other demographic changes, but in a way that does not disenfranchise citizens.

Executive Director, Community Outreach for Development and Welfare Advocacy, Taiwo Otitolaye, said the INEC should extend the timeline for voter revalidation.

“The time allotted is too short for people to get their voter’s card revalidated ahead of the next election.

“Continuous voter registration is at local government headquarters, and in many places there are unmotorable roads leading to remote communities. INEC should consider these challenges and extend the exercise.

Director, Media Advocacy and Technologies Centre, Musa Aliyu, described the voters’ revalidation exercise as a necessary step towards strengthening electoral integrity in Nigeria, but warned that the short notice and limited duration of the exercise raise serious concerns.

According to him, “allocating just three weeks for voter register revalidation in a country with over 90 million registered voters is grossly inadequate”.

A former Director of Voter Education at the INEC, Nick Dazang, when contacted, said: “Section 12(1) e of the Act states that a person shall be qualified to be registered as a voter if such a person is not subject to any legal incapacity to vote under any law, rule or regulations in force in Nigeria.

“Also, Section 19 of the Act states that “the Commission shall, not later than 90 days to a general election, appoint a period of seven days during which a copy of the voter’ register for each Local Government Area, 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.

“This is the Claims & Objections window. After harvesting all the registrations, the commission will then run the AUTOMATED BIOMETRIC IDENTIFICATION SYSTEMS software, which is used for fingerprint and facial recognition as well as to identify and remove multiple registrations.

“Remember that BVAS captures fingerprints and facials, hence the deployment of the ABIS Software.”

Exercise to strengthen electoral process participation – INEC

The INEC has explained that the exercise is designed to strengthen, not restrict, participation in the electoral process.

The Director of Voter Education and Publicity, Victoria Eta-Messi, told one of our correspondents 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. (Daily Trust)

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Kidnappers torture 20 corps members, demand N5m each NYSC

Published

3 hours ago

October 4, 2026

Advocate News Nigeria

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Oyo adopts Oriire abduction template, engages Imo, security agencies

The 20 prospective National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) members abducted by gunmen in Imo State have allegedly been subjected to physical assault by their captors, including the female victims, as the kidnappers reduced their ransom demand to N5 million per victim.

The development came as the deadline reportedly given by the abductors for payment of the ransom approached, heightening anxiety among the victims’ families.

One of the affected relatives, Alhaja Alimot Akande, whose 25-year-old sister, Kehinde Akande, is among the abducted graduates, said the victims had allegedly been beaten since Saturday.

She described the situation as “horrible, scary and overwhelming,” while appealing to the government to intensify efforts to secure the victims’ release.

Akande said the kidnappers had reduced their initial demand from N50 million per victim to N5 million each.

“They are still demanding N5 million. They have come down to N5 million each,” she said.

Asked whether the N5 million was being demanded for each of the 20 victims, she replied: “Yes.”

She said she could not confirm how much had been raised towards the ransom, explaining that she was not privy to arrangements between the abductors and other families.

“I cannot say because I do not know how much they have told those people that they have,” she said.

According to Akande, her sister told her that the abductors had started beating the victims.

“Sir, we appeal to the government to please assist us in getting them rescued out of that place. When I spoke to my sister, they started beating them since yesterday,” she said.

Asked whether the female victims were also being assaulted, she said: “They are not sparing anybody. They are beating all of them.”

Akande also said one of the abducted corps members had been allowed to communicate with his father, alleging that the kidnappers monitored the calls as part of their efforts to assess the family’s ability to raise the ransom.

She said the abductors would alert the victim whenever his father called and allow him to speak to him.

She added that the families had been relying on assurances from the police while efforts continued to raise the ransom.

“The police are telling us to still be buying time. We are still looking for the money. Depending, they will see them rescued,” she said.

Akande confirmed that her family was directly affected by the incident, identifying her abducted sister as Kehinde, 25.

Oyo engages Imo, security agencies

Meanwhile, the Oyo State Government said it was maintaining contact with the Imo State Government and security agencies as efforts intensified to secure the release of the abducted graduates.

The state Commissioner for Information, Prince Dotun Oyelade, said the government was actively involved in efforts to rescue the victims despite the abduction occurring outside Oyo State.

Oyelade said the government was drawing on its experience from the recent abduction of students and teachers in Oriire Local Government Area in its engagement with the Imo authorities.

“We are in close contacts at government-to-government level and actively with the security apparatus in Oyo and Imo states,” he said.

“We are volunteering our template and experiences garnered during the Oriire kidnapping, and the report of the Judicial Inquiry just submitted last week by the Hon. Justice (Professor) Mojeed Owoade Panel is coming in handy in our bilateral discussions on the matter.”

He explained that the government would not disclose all aspects of its strategy because of the sensitive nature of the operation.

“Governments all over the world are not in the habit of disclosing all they are planning in delicate situations like this,” Oyelade said.

The commissioner, however, said the Federal Government and the Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces should provide answers on the broader national security response to the incident.

“The pushback should be on the Federal Government and the Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces, who are in charge of national security, on what they have done in 72 hours,” he said.

Oyelade also referred to Governor Seyi Makinde’s recent intervention over the abduction of students in Borno State, noting that the Borno incident occurred on the same day as the Oriire abduction.

He said Makinde had appealed to the Federal Government to expedite action on the rescue of the abducted Borno students.

Reaffirming the state’s commitment to the victims, Oyelade said the fact that the graduates were abducted in Imo did not absolve the Oyo Government of its responsibility to its citizens.

“Oyo State Government had not and will not abandon its citizens. We will continue to work endlessly and desperately to secure the release of our children,” he said.

How the graduates were abducted

The 20 prospective corps members were abducted on Thursday while travelling from Ibadan to their respective NYSC orientation camps in two buses.

The vehicles were reportedly attacked by gunmen along the Owerri-Onitsha Road in Umunoha, Imo State, while the graduates were travelling to orientation camps in Abia and Akwa Ibom states.

The incident triggered concern among the affected families, particularly after the parents said the kidnappers initially demanded N50 million for each victim — N1 billion in total — and gave them a 24-hour ultimatum to raise the money.

The parents subsequently sought the intervention of the Olubadan of Ibadanland, Oba Rashidi Ladoja, during a visit to his private residence in Bodija, Ibadan.

They were accompanied by the Oyo State Commissioner of Police, Olugbenga Abimbola, and the Aseyin of Iseyinland, Oba Sefiu Adeyeri.

The parents appealed to the monarch to intervene, saying they could not raise the N1 billion ransom demanded.

“They have been calling us since yesterday (Friday) with a demand for N50 million ransom each. They are threatening that anything untoward will happen to our children if we fail to heed to their request,” the parents had said.

“There is no way we can raise such an amount at this period. Baba, kindly assist us. Don’t let them kill our children.”

Responding, Ladoja assured the families that efforts were being made to secure the victims’ release.

“I want to assure that your children would be rescued unharmed. We will relate whatever information we gather to you,” he said.

“The police are working round the clock to secure their rescue. Don’t worry yourself, police are up to the task, and nothing would happen to your children.”

The Oyo State Commissioner of Police, Abimbola, also said he had remained in contact with his Imo counterpart since the incident.

“I had already contacted Imo State CP. We have been talking since the day of incident, and he assured me that the victims would be rescued unhurt,” Abimbola said.z

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Eight Zamfara lawmakers dump APC over insecurity, unpaid salaries

Published

4 hours ago

October 4, 2026

Advocate News Nigeria

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Eight members of the Zamfara State House of Assembly have resigned from the All Progressives Congress (APC), citing insecurity, injustice and other issues affecting the wellbeing of the people.

The lawmakers, including an ally of former Governor Abdul’aziz Yari, said they could no longer remain in a political party which they said had failed to provide adequate security for citizens.

In a statement announcing their decision, the lawmakers expressed dissatisfaction with what they described as the party’s inability to address challenges confronting the state, particularly the worsening security situation.

The lawmakers who resigned are Hon. Aliyu Ango Kagara (Talata Mafara South), Hon. Ibrahim Tukur Bakura (Bakura), Hon. Faruk Musa Dosara (Maradun I), Hon. Barrister Bashir Abubakar Masama (Bukkuyum North), Hon. Muktaru Nasiru Kaura (Kaura North), Hon. Nasiru Abdullahi (Maru North), Hon. Bashar Bello (Bungudu West), and Hon. Bashar Aliyu (Gummi I).

Their resignation adds to the growing political developments within Zamfara APC, where internal disagreements and realignments have continued to shape the political landscape ahead of the 2027 general elections.

The lawmakers did not immediately disclose their next political destination.

When contacted, the state APC Publicity Secretary, Hon. Ibrahim Danmadamin Birnin Magaji, said the party was yet to be officially notified.

“We are still waiting for their correspondence from their respective political wards after reaching their local government executives, which would later be forwarded to us,” Danmadamin said.

He added that the party had only seen the resignation letters on social media.“We all saw it on social media platforms, but whenever we receive the copies officially, we would communicate with you on our stand,” he said.

Responding to whether the development was linked to internal crisis, Danmadamin said the APC was not aware of any grievances until it saw the letters online.

On their part, the resigned lawmakers accused Governor Dauda Lawal’s administration of failing to give adequate attention to insecurity affecting rural communities.

Speaking on behalf of the group, Kagara said they decided to leave the APC because the party had failed to properly address insecurity and had allegedly reneged on earlier agreements.

“What we are challenging Governor Lawal’s administration about is even worse now compared to previous times, so we have seen no reason to continue remaining in the APC. Our constituents in rural areas who voted us into power to address their security concerns were not being given any attention,” Kagara said.

He also alleged that the lawmakers had gone for 32 months without receiving salaries, allowances and other entitlements.

“This is our 32 months without salary, allowances and other entitlements as honourable members, and the people of Zamfara; the ball is in their court,” he said.

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Parents of abducted corps members beg Olubadan: We can’t raise N1bn ransom

Published

9 hours ago

October 4, 2026

Advocate News Nigeria

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Parents of the 20 abducted prospective National Youth Service Corps members, PCMs, were thrown into profound sadness, yesterday, leading them to appeal to the Olubadan of Ibadanland, Oba Rashidi Ladoja, to assist in rescuing their children from the kidnappers’ den.

The distraught parents, who visited Ladoja at his private residence in Bodija, Ibadan, along with the Commissioner of Police in Oyo State, Olugbenga Abimbola, and the Aseyin of Iseyinland, Oba Sefiu Adeyeri, said the kidnappers threatened to kill the victims if they did not pay the N1 billion ransom within 24 hours.

This came on a day when the Inspector-General of Police, IGP, Olatunji Disu, deployed the Deputy Inspector-General of Police in charge of Operations, DIG Shehu Nadada, to Imo State to coordinate the rescue of the PCMs and other abducted passengers.

Last Thursday, gunmen attacked the 20 PCMs, who had travelled from Ibadan, the Oyo State capital, along the Owerri-Onitsha Road in Umunoha, Imo State, while on their way to NYSC orientation camps in different vehicles.

Accusation

Some of their parents accused the transport company that conveyed them from Ibadan of allegedly withholding vital passenger information when they approached its office for assistance.

The parents alleged that when they visited Eduak King Transport Company in Samonda, Ibadan, in a desperate search for information that could help them contact other affected families, the company refused to provide the list of next of kin of passengers aboard the ill-fated vehicle.

One of the affected mothers, Mrs Iyabo Akande, whose daughter, Kehinde Akande, was among the abducted graduates, called on the Inspector-General of Police and the government to investigate the transport operator and ensure that those found culpable were held accountable.

She said: “Please, our government and the Inspector-General of Police should help us investigate the transport company, Eduak King, located at Samonda, and put fear into them. Call them to order. “Yesterday morning at their office, we were asking for the next-of-kin list so we could contact other parents, but they refused to present it or assist us. They must be held accountable.”

Another parent, Olawale Olaleye, whose daughter was also among the victims, expressed concern over what he described as the company’s continued transport operations despite the abduction and the distress the incident had caused the affected families.

According to him, the parents were surprised to find the company loading another vehicle when they visited its premises to seek information and assistance.

He said: “We went to Samonda, to Eduak King. Surprisingly, they were already loading another vehicle. People are complaining. The company should be held liable.”

Plea to Olubadan

But speaking at the Olubadan’s residence, yesterday, Alhaja Akande and Oyebola Akande, who spoke on behalf of the families, said the kidnappers had been calling since Friday, demanding N50 million for each victim.

“There is no way we can raise such an amount at this time. Baba, kindly assist us. Don’t let them kill our children.”

They appealed to the Olubadan and the police commissioner to intervene urgently, expressing fears that the lives of their children could be in danger if the abductors carried out their threats.

Responding to the appeal, Oba Ladoja assured the families that concerted efforts were being made by security agencies to rescue the abducted graduates alive and unhurt.

He said: “I want to assure you that your children will be rescued unharmed. We will relay whatever information we gather to you. The police are working round the clock to secure their rescue. Don’t worry yourself; the police are up to the task, and nothing will happen to your children.”

Also speaking, the Oyo State Commissioner of Police, Olugbenga Abimbola, disclosed that he had been in constant communication with his counterpart in Imo State since the incident occurred, expressing confidence that the victims would be rescued safely.

“I had already contacted the Imo State CP. We have been talking since the day of the incident, and he assured me that the victims would be rescued unhurt,” he said.

However, the police commissioner did not disclose whether any ransom had been paid by the families or provide specific details of the ongoing rescue operations.

Deployment

Meanwhile, the Force Public Relations Officer, CSP Anietie Iniedu, in a statement, yesterday, said IGP Disu had deployed the Deputy Inspector-General of Police in charge of Operations, DIG Shehu Nadada, to Imo State to coordinate the rescue operation.

Iniedu said the DIG arrived in Imo State with two Commissioners of Police and conducted an on-the-spot assessment of the situation and the ongoing search-and-rescue efforts.

He said the DIG also reviewed the operational strategies, deployment of personnel and operational assets, and provided further directives to strengthen the coordinated response.

Iniedu added: “The police are working in close coordination with sister security agencies to ensure the safe rescue of the abducted persons and the apprehension of the perpetrators. The DIG Operations, DIG Shehu Umar Nadada, assured members of the public that the Nigeria Police Force is committed to securing the safe rescue of the 20 abducted persons and will sustain the operation until the mission is successfully concluded.

“He urged members of the public and the media to remain calm and vigilant and encouraged anyone with credible information that could assist the operation to promptly contact the police or the nearest security formation. All information received will be treated with strict confidentiality. Further updates will be issued as the operation progresses.”