Renowned broadcast journalist Seun Okinbaloye has cautioned that Nigeria’s 2027 electoral exercise could face credibility challenges even before voting begins, following alleged attempts to compromise the country’s register of eligible voters.
The Channels Television presenter maintained that the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) must urgently investigate suspicious entries in its database and correct identified discrepancies to safeguard the integrity of the forthcoming polls.
He expressed these concerns on Friday evening during an edition of Channels Television’s political discussion programme, Politics Today.
Speaking during the broadcast, Okinbaloye suggested that certain political actors might have begun exploiting weaknesses in the voter registration system to influence the outcome of the next general elections.
He explained that indications of possible electoral misconduct were already emerging, pointing to alleged cases involving individuals who had not attained voting age, multiple entries belonging to the same registrants and fictitious identities appearing in registration records.
According to the journalist, such developments require immediate attention because allowing questionable information to remain in the commission’s database could expose the electoral process to manipulation.
He argued that the preparation for electoral malpractice should not be measured solely by activities taking place at polling centres, noting that interference with the registration process could equally affect the credibility of an election.
Okinbaloye warned that failure to address the alleged discrepancies before the 2027 polls could create an environment where electoral irregularities become difficult to prevent.
He therefore appealed to the electoral commission to begin an extensive verification exercise aimed at establishing the accuracy of information contained in its database.
The broadcaster specifically recommended identifying and deleting records associated with individuals who are no longer alive, persons below the constitutional voting age, repeated registrations and identities that cannot be verified.
He maintained that conducting such an exercise would help strengthen confidence in the electoral system and reduce opportunities for abuse by individuals seeking to manipulate the voting process.
The journalist further observed that the responsibility of protecting Nigeria’s democracy should not begin when campaigns commence or when citizens arrive at polling stations to exercise their voting rights.
Rather, he argued that the process requires adequate preparation, credible documentation and effective supervision long before the commencement of an election.
He cautioned Nigerians against concentrating exclusively on possible irregularities during vote counting and result announcements while overlooking activities surrounding the compilation of the electoral register.
Okinbaloye maintained that questionable registration records could provide an avenue for electoral misconduct if the commission failed to investigate and resolve the situation ahead of time.
He also stressed that INEC must demonstrate transparency in handling complaints and ensure that the database accurately reflects citizens who satisfy the legal requirements for participation in elections.
The presenter noted that allowing unqualified individuals or unverifiable identities to remain on the register could raise serious questions about the credibility of the entire electoral exercise.
His intervention comes amid growing discussions about preparations for the 2027 general elections and concerns surrounding the management of Nigeria’s electoral system.
Okinbaloye insisted that the commission should treat the allegations as an urgent matter requiring concrete action rather than waiting for political parties or members of the public to raise further objections.
He maintained that protecting the credibility of the forthcoming elections requires addressing possible weaknesses in the registration process before they develop into larger electoral problems.
