The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) says it has commenced the display of the preliminary voters’ register ahead of the 2027 general elections. But, at press time, the commission’s website had no preliminary registers available to display.
Through announcements by Resident Electoral Commissioners (RECs) in states including Plateau, Sokoto and Taraba, INEC said the exercise would run from Friday through October 15, giving registered voters an opportunity to verify their details ahead of the elections.
In Plateau State, REC Sam Egwu announced on Friday that the exercise would run “from the 9th to 15th of October 2026 (seven days and weekends inclusive)”.
Similarly, Sokoto State REC Umar Yusuf Garba announced the commencement of “the display of the preliminary register of voters for claims and objections” from “the 9th to the 15th of October 2026”.
However, the commission’s online portal for the preliminary register of voters displayed the following message:
“Display of Preliminary Register of Voters
“This is the official online display of the preliminary register of voters on the INEC Website based on the recently concluded registration exercises.
“There are currently no preliminary registers to display. Please check back later.
“Thank you.”
At press time, it is not certain whether the portal is awaiting an update or whether the registers are unavailable for another reason.
The display is not merely an administrative exercise. It is a statutory requirement under Section 19(1) of the Electoral Act 2026, which provides for a seven-day period during which voters’ registers must be made available for public scrutiny.
The provision states:
“19.—(1) 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.”
The provision requires INEC to make the register accessible both at registration areas and online, allowing voters to verify their details and identify errors, omissions or questionable entries that may require correction before the register is finalised.
According to INEC’s timetable, the presidential and National Assembly elections are scheduled for January 16, 2027, and the governorship and State Houses of Assembly elections will be held on February 6, 2027. The corresponding 90-day deadlines — given the provisions of the law — are October 18 and November 8, respectively.
The commission has already published the lists of candidates for the 2027 elections; the lists for the presidential and National Assembly elections were released in September. But the publication of candidate lists and the display of the voters’ register are separate processes, each with its own legal requirements.
The commissions’ handling of the more recent Ekiti State and Osun State governorship elections are not antecedents that suggest compliance for the forthcoming national and legislative elections.
For instance, In Ekiti, FIJ reported how INEC had not made a complete and easily accessible list of governorship candidates available on its website, despite the statutory requirement to publish candidates’ names and addresses both at its relevant offices and on its website about 30 days to the election.
At the time, candidate information was displayed at the commission’s state headquarters, but a consolidated online publication containing the required particulars was not available.
This is contravenes Section 32(1) of the Electoral Act 2026, which requires the commission to publish the full names and addresses of candidates at least 60 days before an election, both at its relevant offices and on its website.
The post INEC’s Preliminary Voters Register on Display Only 1 Week, Yet It’s Been Inaccessible for 2 Days appeared first on Foundation For Investigative Journalism.
