Former Minister of Education, Obiageli “Oby” Ezekwesili, has called for an independent investigation into allegations of manipulation of Nigeria’s voter register, insisting that the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) cannot be allowed to investigate itself.
Ezekwesili made the call in an open memorandum dated November 3, 2026, in which she proposed the establishment of an independent Citizens’ Electoral Rescue Team to oversee the examination and clean-up of the voter register ahead of the 2027 general elections.
Her demand followed revelations concerning suspected irregularities in INEC’s preliminary voter register, including the alleged use of artificial intelligence-generated photographs, duplicate records and fabricated entries.
According to Ezekwesili, disclosures by INEC’s Director of Information and Communication Technology, Dr Lawrence Bayode, during television appearances on October 30 and November 1, suggested that some registration officers had used their official login credentials to introduce questionable entries into the database across several states.
She described the development as an internal breach of trust, arguing that the electoral commission could not be expected to independently investigate allegations involving its own personnel.
“INEC cannot investigate INEC. Impossible,” she declared.
The former minister also questioned INEC’s ability to conduct credible elections in 2027 under its current leadership, warning that the allegations had significantly damaged public confidence in the electoral body.
“The question of whether Nigeria can conduct a credible 2027 election is already answered. Nigeria cannot conduct a credible 2027 election under the leadership of INEC,” she said.
Ezekwesili expressed concern that the commission had yet to provide Nigerians with comprehensive information about the extent of the alleged irregularities, including the number of affected records, the states involved and the officers responsible.
She argued that describing the register as preliminary was not sufficient to dismiss the concerns, noting that the document would eventually form the basis of the final register for the 2027 elections.
To address the situation, she proposed that the Citizens’ Electoral Rescue Team should comprise independent Nigerian and international experts in digital forensics, cybersecurity, data analysis and biometric verification.
She also recommended the inclusion of civil society organisations, the Nigerian Bar Association, professional bodies, academics, faith leaders, traditional institutions and international election observers.
However, she insisted that serving or former INEC officials, public office holders, political candidates and party officials should be excluded from the team to guarantee its independence.
Among the proposed team’s responsibilities are conducting a forensic audit of the voter register, identifying and removing fraudulent entries, establishing those responsible for the alleged manipulation and ensuring that implicated officers face appropriate disciplinary and legal action.
Ezekwesili further urged the National Assembly to urgently enact legislation under what she described as a “Doctrine of Necessity” to establish and empower the proposed team.
Emphasising the importance of a credible voter register to the electoral process, she warned that any manipulation at that stage could undermine the credibility of the entire election.
“The register of voters is the first ballot. If it is rigged, every ballot that follows is rigged before it is cast,” she said.
She called on civil society organisations, professional bodies, young Nigerians, religious leaders, the judiciary and the international community to support the proposal, stressing the need for immediate action while relevant evidence remained available.
“We, the citizens of Nigeria from the North and South; East and West of Nigeria must act NOW, while the evidence is still intact and the clean-up can still be done in the open,” she added.
