The Independent National Electoral Commission has instructed all Resident Electoral Commissioners to halt ongoing publicity and preparations for the proposed voter revalidation exercise until further guidance is provided. This directive was conveyed in a meeting notice signed by the commission’s secretary, Rose Oriaran-Anthony.
INEC had announced plans to begin a nationwide revalidation of the voter register to improve Nigeria’s electoral system’s credibility. The exercise aims to clean up the register by eliminating ineligible entries, including deceased, non-Nigerians, underage, and multiple registrants. The commission stated that the process aligns with existing legal provisions.
The scheduled physical meeting with Resident Electoral Commissioners has been shifted to a virtual session through Zoom to accommodate the current circumstances. RECs have been advised to stay in their respective states and await further communication regarding the virtual meeting arrangements.
While the voter revalidation exercise was set to commence on April 13 and target voters registered between 2011 and 2024, concerns have been raised about disenfranchising eligible voters due to the timeline. A political activist, Chris Nwosu, cautioned INEC about excluding millions of Nigerians from exercising their civic rights and suggested deferring the process until after the 2027 elections to allow for adequate participation.
INEC assured stakeholders of its commitment to effective coordination and communication during the revalidation exercise to enhance the integrity and credibility of the national register of voters.
