The Independent National Electoral Commission has explained why the preliminary voters’ register, despite being displayed at registration areas nationwide, has not been uploaded to its official website ahead of the 2027 general elections.
The commission’s National Commissioner and Chairman of its Information and Voter Education Committee, Mohammed Haruna, said the preliminary register had been made available for public inspection at the ward level but was yet to be published online.
Haruna provided the explanation during an exclusive conversation with The PUNCH on Sunday, following concerns over the accessibility of the document and demands for the electoral umpire to ensure that the register was available for public scrutiny through its website.
Lq”The voter register has been published, but in the wards. It just wasn’t published on our website,” he said.
The clarification comes amid growing criticism over the inability of Nigerians to access the preliminary register online during the period designated for its public display. The situation has also prompted concerns about the difficulties registered voters may encounter when attempting to verify their details without physically visiting their respective registration areas.
The preliminary voters’ register is an important component of the electoral process, as it identifies individuals eligible to vote and allows discrepancies in their registration information to be detected and addressed before the final register is approved.
Former Vice-President Atiku Abubakar had previously faulted INEC over its failure to make the document available on its website. In a statement issued on Thursday, October 22, he urged the commission to provide immediate public access to the preliminary list.
Atiku raised concerns about the absence of the register from the electoral body’s online platform during the scheduled public display period, which ran from October 9 to 15, 2026.
He maintained that announcing the overall number of registered voters did not adequately address the need for individuals to confirm whether their personal information had been accurately captured in the database.
According to the former vice-president, access to the complete register would enable citizens to detect missing names, request corrections to inaccurate information and challenge entries they believed were questionable.
“While INEC announced more than 103 million registered voters. Nigerians went to its portal to inspect the names and found an empty page. That is an outrage. A figure cannot answer an objection. A press announcement cannot tell a voter whether her name has been omitted. Show Nigerians the register,” Atiku said.
At the centre of the controversy is the distinction between making the preliminary register available for physical inspection at registration areas and publishing the document on INEC’s official website.
Although Haruna confirmed that the register had been displayed at the ward level, he did not indicate when the commission intended to make the online version accessible to the public.
The lack of an online copy could pose additional challenges for registered voters who are unable to visit their designated registration areas during the inspection period. For such individuals, verifying their registration details may depend on physical access to the displayed register.
Public access to the document enables voters to confirm that their names, photographs and other relevant registration information have been correctly recorded. It also provides an opportunity to identify possible duplicate registrations and other inconsistencies that may require the commission’s attention.
Identifying and resolving such discrepancies before the final register is approved is intended to strengthen the accuracy of the electoral database and minimise disputes that could affect eligible citizens’ participation in future elections.
The legal framework governing the process is outlined in Section 19(1) of the Electoral Act 2026, which provides for the public display and publication of the voters’ register.
Under the provision, INEC is required to designate a seven-day period within the legally prescribed timeframe during which the register must be made available for public scrutiny.
The section states: “Subject to the provisions of section 9 (6) of this Act, the commission shall, not later than 90 days to a general election, appoint a period of seven days during which a copy of the voters’ register for each Local Government, Area Council or ward shall be displayed or published for public scrutiny at every registration area and on its official website or any website established by the commission for that purpose.”
The provision establishes a framework for allowing voters and other interested members of the public to examine the register and bring potential errors or irregularities to the commission’s attention before the electoral process progresses further.
It also specifies the channels through which the document is to be made available, including registration areas and the commission’s official website or another website established for that purpose.
INEC’s explanation has, however, left unanswered questions about when the preliminary register will be uploaded online, particularly as the designated public inspection period has already elapsed.
In the clarification reported, the commission did not announce a specific date for making the document available on its website.
Consequently, the question of when Nigerians will be able to inspect the preliminary voters’ register online remains unresolved, amid continued concerns about accessibility and the need for transparency in preparations for the 2027 general elections.
