ADC demands clarity from INEC on purported voter revalidation plan

By Lateef Ibrahim, Abuja

The African Democratic Congress (ADC) has called on the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to urgently confirm the authenticity of a leaked memo suggesting plans for a nationwide voter revalidation exercise, warning that if true, the move would be a “recipe for chaos” capable of disenfranchising millions of Nigerians ahead of the elections.

The party made the call in a statement on Wednesday by its National Publicity Secretary Mallam Bolaji Abdullahi in Abuja.

The ADC argued that requiring already registered voters to revalidate their details less than ten months to the polls would suppress turnout, deepen voter apathy, and unfairly exclude those unable to travel, adding that the only likely beneficiary of such confusion is the ruling party.

The coalition party also questioned why such a major exercise is emerging through a leak just days to its proposed commencement, cautioning INEC against actions that could be perceived as aiding electoral manipulation.

It urged the Commission to abandon the plan and reassure Nigerians of its commitment to a credible and inclusive electoral process.

The statement by Abdullahi reads, “The African Democratic Congress (ADC) has been inundated with reports of a purported internal memo from the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), indicating plans to embark on a nationwide voter revalidation exercise.

“We call on INEC to immediately confirm to Nigerians whether this memo is genuine, and whether it indeed reflects an official plan of the Commission.

‘If true, this development raises serious concerns and must be rejected outright as a recipe for chaos.

‘Coming less than ten months to a general election, such an exercise risks disenfranchising millions of Nigerians. It is already difficult enough to get citizens to register to vote in the first place.

‘To now require them to return and “revalidate” their registration is, in effect, to ask them not to bother at all.

“INEC must clearly explain what happens to Nigerians who, for valid reasons, are unable to travel for this exercise. Are they to lose their right to vote simply because they cannot make it back to designated centres within a narrow window?

“At a time when voter apathy is already a major challenge, any policy that adds new barriers to participation will only suppress turnout further. And when turnout is suppressed, the credibility of the electoral process is inevitably called into question.

“In this case, the only obvious beneficiary of such confusion is the ruling party.

“No matter its stated intentions, INEC must be careful not to lend itself to accusations of helping the ruling party rig the elections before the votes are even cast.

“The Commission’s credibility rests not just on what it does, but on how its actions are perceived by Nigerians.

“It is equally troubling that such a significant national exercise is only coming to public attention through a leaked memo, allegedly just days before implementation.

“For an exercise of this magnitude, Nigerians deserve transparency, not ambiguity.

“If any voter revalidation was ever required, it should have been conducted immediately after the last election, not on the eve of another.

“The ADC therefore calls on INEC to abandon this plan and reassure Nigerians that no policy will be introduced at this critical time that could disenfranchise voters or undermine confidence in the electoral process.

“Nigeria’s democracy cannot afford avoidable disruptions. The right to vote must not be subjected to last-minute administrative experiments”, it said.