The Independent National Electoral Commission risks criminal liability for failing to publish the national voters’ register online. Yiaga Africa disclosed the risk on Friday. The executive director, Samson Itodo, spoke on Channels Television’s Politics Today. He said the commission is bound by Section 19 of the Electoral Act 2022 to make the register available online for public scrutiny. INEC has not published it. The deadline passed 90 days before the 2027 general election.
The Electoral Act requires INEC to publish the preliminary voters’ register online and display copies at polling units. The law uses the word “shall,” making it mandatory. INEC under former chairman Mahmood Yakubu published the register online in the previous cycle. The current commission has not. The omission is a legal breach. Yiaga Africa has monitored Nigerian elections for years. It has documented INEC’s compliance and failures. The current breach is significant. The 2027 election is approaching. The register is the foundation of the process.
Itodo said the law leaves no room for discretion. “When you say that the commission shall, it means you must,” he said. He said INEC’s obligation to publish online is separate from displaying copies at polling units. The commission said it had displayed copies. It has not published online. Itodo said the silence does not inspire confidence. “INEC owes it to the Nigerian people to officially make a statement as to why it has been unable to implement this part of the law,” he said.
Section 19 provides penalties. An INEC official convicted of failing to display the register could face a fine of ₦100,000, a six-month prison term, or both. The breach could attract criminal proceedings. Prosecution would ordinarily fall to the state. Interested stakeholders could approach the courts to compel compliance. Yiaga Africa has not filed a suit. It has called for transparency.
The failure comes ahead of the 2027 general election. INEC has faced criticism over result transmission, BVAS deployment and voter registration. The register is the latest issue. The commission’s credibility is at stake.
Winners: Yiaga Africa, which shows vigilance. Civil society, which gains a case. Lawyers, who may file suits. The public, if the register is published. Losers: INEC, whose compliance is questioned. Officials who face potential penalties. Voters, who cannot verify their registration. The electoral process, which suffers a trust deficit. The government, which faces another electoral controversy.
Bottom Line: INEC has not published the voter register. The law requires it. Yiaga Africa says officials risk prosecution. The commission must explain. It must publish. The 2027 election depends on trust. The register is the first test.