By Jemimah Wellington, JKNewsMedia Correspondent
OPPOSITION HAS emerged against the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC)’s planned nationwide voter revalidation exercise ahead of the 2027 general elections, with the Movement for Credible Elections (MCE) rejecting the proposal.
JKNewsMedia.com reports that in a press release signed by Olawale Okunniyi, Head, National Secretariat, MCE, dated Sunday, 5 April 2026, stated that the group carefully reviewed the announcement and expressed firm opposition.
“While we acknowledge that the stated objective of sanitizing the voters’ register may appear well intentioned, we are compelled, in the interest of electoral integrity, fairness, and the electorate to firmly oppose the proposed exercise,” the statement said.
The group stated that introducing voter revalidation while Continuous Voter Registration is ongoing reflects poor sequencing of electoral processes and raises concerns about the sincerity, intention and agenda of the Commission.
It called on Nigerians, civil society organisations, political stakeholders and the international community to interrogate the initiative and demand accountability from the electoral body.
The statement described the proposed exercise as ill-timed and operationally disruptive, stating that conducting a nationwide voter revalidation less than nine months to the general elections is ill advised and administratively reckless.
“Such a massive undertaking will inevitably overlap with other critical pre-election activities, including logistics planning, staff training, voter education, and election deployment frameworks,” it said.
The group also raised concerns over poor publicity, stating that awareness surrounding the proposed exercise is grossly inadequate and warning that a poorly communicated process would deepen suspicion and alienation among the electorate.
It stated that the exercise creates potential for manipulation and selective disenfranchisement, adding that there is concern that the process could be exploited to suppress voter strength in certain regions.
“The revalidation exercise creates a dangerous opening for manipulation,” the statement said, noting that it could become a tool for voter suppression and exclusion.
The group further stated that there is no independent means for the public to verify participation in the exercise, adding that citizens would rely solely on data released by the electoral body without a transparent audit trail or third party validation framework.
It expressed concern over the timeframe for claims and objections, stating that the compressed timeline raises doubts about whether the constitutional safeguard can be meaningfully exercised.
The statement added that the exercise could deepen voter apathy and distrust, noting that Nigerians may interpret the process as an unnecessary hurdle or attempt to complicate participation.
It also stated that the proposal departs from established electoral practice, noting that the electoral body has historically undertaken periodic clean up of the voters’ register without requiring fresh revalidation and that the Permanent Voter Card is meant to be enduring.
The group maintained that electoral credibility is built on transparency, predictability, inclusiveness and trust, stating that any process that introduces uncertainty, opacity or potential disenfranchisement is anti-democratic and cannot be respected by citizens.
JKNewsMedia.com reports that it called on the electoral body to immediately suspend the proposed exercise, focus on strengthening the ongoing Continuous Voter Registration (CVR) process, and carry out statutory responsibilities of cleaning the voters’ register using established administrative and technological mechanisms.
The statement also urged the Commission to rebuild public trust through transparency, stakeholder engagement and adherence to global best practices.
“Nigeria’s democracy cannot afford another burdensome and shady experiment at this critical juncture,” it said, adding that the integrity of the voters’ register must not be compromised.
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