Former Minister of Education, Obiageli “Oby” Ezekwesili, has referred to as for an unbiased Citizens’ Electoral Rescue Team to take over the cleansing up of Nigeria’s voter register forward of the 2027 normal elections, saying the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) can’t examine itself over allegations of voter register manipulation.
In an open memorandum dated November 3, 2026, titled: “A Doctrine of Necessity Open Memo: Hands-Off Now, INEC….. Only a Citizens’ Electoral Rescue Team Can Restore Credibility to 2027 Elections,” Ezekwesili alleged that disclosures by INEC’s Director of Information and Communication Technology, Dr Lawrence Bayode, had uncovered critical compromises within the preliminary voter register.
She stated Bayode, talking on nationwide tv on October 30 and November 1, disclosed that registration officers had used their official login credentials to introduce AI-generated pictures, duplicate information and different fabricated entries into the register throughout a number of states.
According to Ezekwesili, Bayode indicated that the Commission knew how the irregularities occurred and who was accountable, whereas acknowledging that public belief had fallen to its lowest stage.
“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 stated.
She described the alleged manipulation as an insider breach somewhat than an exterior cyberattack or technical glitch, warning that the preliminary register may undermine the credibility of the 2027 elections if the alleged irregularities weren’t independently investigated.
Ezekwesili questioned INEC’s dealing with of the matter, saying its October 27 assertion didn’t determine the reason for the issue. She added that, regardless of subsequent disclosures by the ICT director, Nigerians had but to be informed the variety of affected information, the states and native authorities areas concerned, the identities of implicated officers or whether or not anybody had been suspended or referred to the police.
She rejected the argument that the register was solely preliminary, warning that it might type the idea of the ultimate register used for the elections.
“INEC cannot investigate INEC. Impossible,” she stated, arguing that the fee couldn’t be left solely accountable for investigating alleged misconduct involving its personal personnel and techniques.
Ezekwesili additionally cited the controversy surrounding the 2023 normal elections, saying the expertise had weakened public confidence in INEC’s assurances about electoral know-how.
“Credibility cannot be rebuilt by the institution that destroyed it, because credibility is not a property of institutions. It is a judgment made by citizens. Citizens will only believe a register that citizens have been allowed to verify,” she stated.
She proposed that the Citizens’ Electoral Rescue Team comprise unbiased Nigerian and worldwide forensic information, cybersecurity and biometric specialists; civil society organisations with election remark expertise; the Nigerian Bar Association; skilled our bodies in ICT and accounting; teachers; religion leaders; conventional establishments; political occasion observers; and credible worldwide election observer missions.
However, she stated serving or former INEC officers, public workplace holders, candidates and political occasion officers must be excluded from membership.
Under the proposed mandate, the workforce would take fast custody of the preliminary register, picture recordsdata, entry logs and audit trails; conduct and publish a forensic audit figuring out fraudulent information and people accountable; and guarantee implicated officers have been suspended and referred for prosecution.
It would additionally supervise the elimination of fraudulent entries, publicly certify the ultimate register earlier than INEC adopted it, set up requirements for residents’ entry to voter information and election outcomes, and report on to Nigerians till the 2027 outcomes have been declared.
Ezekwesili urged the National Assembly to enact a legislation underneath a “Doctrine of Necessity” to ascertain and empower the workforce, arguing that point was working out for an unbiased audit forward of the elections.
She maintained that the proposed workforce wouldn’t abolish INEC or usurp its constitutional tasks however would oversee the register clean-up and electoral transparency measures, with the fee accountable to the workforce and the general public.
“The register of voters is the first ballot. If it is rigged, every ballot that follows is rigged before it is cast,” she stated.
She referred to as on civil society organisations, skilled our bodies, religion leaders, younger voters, the National Assembly, the judiciary and the worldwide group to assist the proposal earlier than INEC certifies the register in December.
“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 stated.
Ezekwesili is the founding father of #RepairPolitics and the School of Politics, Policy and Governance.
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