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• Gives INEC December 15 deadline, seeks prosecution of culpable officials
• Accuses APC of shrinking democratic space, demands police protection
From Ndubuisi Orji, Abuja
A coalition of six opposition political parties has demanded an independent forensic audit of the national voter register ahead of the January 16, 2027 presidential election, expressing concern over the alleged discovery of Artificial Intelligence (AI)-generated photographs and the removal of more than 1.27 million invalid registration records by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).
The coalition, operating under the aegis of the Coalition for Democracy, called for the audit to be concluded before December 15, with its findings published on a state-by-state basis and officials found culpable in any manipulation of the register investigated and prosecuted.
The coalition, an offshoot of the G-100, comprises the African Democratic Congress (ADC), Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC), Allied Peoples Movement (APM), Social Democratic Party (SDP), Peoples Redemption Party (PRP) and Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).
In a statement issued by Salihu Lukman following Thursday’s meeting of its Central Leadership Committee (CLC), comprising the leadership of the six participating parties, the coalition said the discovery of questionable entries in the voter register had deepened public concerns about INEC’s preparedness and credibility ahead of the elections.
It also accused the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) of systematically shrinking Nigeria’s democratic space through alleged attacks on opposition supporters, restrictions on campaign activities and discriminatory treatment by public institutions.
The coalition warned that the conduct of government institutions and security agencies in the build-up to the elections had raised questions about whether opposition political parties would be allowed to campaign freely and whether Nigerians would be able to exercise their electoral rights without intimidation.
“The meeting further warned that, with barely 72 days to the January 16 elections, the conduct of government institutions and security agencies raises serious questions about whether Nigerians will be allowed to freely choose their leaders,” the statement read.
It alleged that opposition supporters had suffered attacks in several states within the past three months, while campaign activities had been disrupted through the cancellation of hotel reservations, sealing of campaign offices and removal of political billboards.
“The Committee noted that in the last 90 days alone, opposition supporters have been attacked in Kaduna, ambushed in Ibadan and attacked in Sokoto and Cross River. Hotels booked for opposition delegates have cancelled reservations, campaign offices have been sealed, and opposition billboards have been pulled down in Edo State while those of the ruling party remain untouched. In the Federal Capital Territory, opposition access to outdoor advertising has reportedly been subjected to charges as high as N750 million.
“In one particularly disturbing incident, a local government chairman reportedly told residents to vote for the APC or leave their community. The APC is not just trying to win the election. It is trying to decide the conditions under which everybody else must contest it.
“This is what happens when a ruling party begins to confuse its control of government with ownership of democracy. You cannot be a contestant and insist on writing the rules for your opponents,” the coalition stated.
Turning to the integrity of the voter register, the opposition parties expressed alarm over reports that AI-generated photographs had been discovered among registration records, alleging that some of the questionable entries were inserted by INEC registration officers.
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The coalition said the development, alongside the removal of more than 1.27 million records from the register, had raised fundamental questions about the effectiveness of the commission’s internal safeguards and the reliability of the database to be used for the general elections.
It questioned why no official had been publicly identified or prosecuted over the alleged irregularities and why political parties had not been provided copies of the register for independent examination.
“The Committee is alarmed at the discovery of AI-generated photographs in the register, reportedly inserted by INEC’s own registration officers, and the removal of more than 1.27 million records have deepened public concerns about the Commission’s preparedness and credibility,” the statement said.
The coalition maintained that the credibility of the electoral process depended not only on the conduct of voting and collation of results but also on the integrity of the register used to determine eligible voters.
It argued that an independent examination of the database was necessary to establish the extent of the irregularities, identify their sources and reassure political parties and voters that appropriate corrective measures had been taken.
“The credibility of an election begins long before the first ballot is cast. If INEC cannot account for the names on its register, how can Nigerians trust it to account for the votes in its custody? A compromised register today is a compromised election tomorrow. Nigerians deserve answers, not excuses,” it declared.
Consequently, the coalition demanded that INEC submit the voter register to an independent forensic audit, ensure that the exercise was completed before December 15 and make the findings available to the public on a state-by-state basis.
It also called for the identification and prosecution of officials found responsible for any deliberate manipulation of voter registration records, while seeking access to the register by political parties for independent scrutiny.
On security, the coalition called on the Inspector-General of Police, Tunji Disu, to guarantee equal protection for all lawful political activities, irrespective of party affiliation, in accordance with Section 83 of the Police Act 2020.
It specifically demanded that the police make public the outcome of investigations into reported attacks on opposition supporters in Oyo, Kaduna and Sokoto states, stressing that the protection of political participants and their constitutional rights was essential to the conduct of credible elections.
The coalition maintained that opposition parties must be allowed to organise meetings, conduct campaigns and mobilise supporters without intimidation or discriminatory restrictions, insisting that government institutions had a responsibility to provide a level playing field for all participants in the electoral process.
The statement did not include responses from INEC, the APC or the police to the allegations raised by the coalition.
