The African Democratic Congress (ADC) has warned that a reported plan by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to carry out a nationwide voter revalidation exercise could strip millions of Nigerians of their right to vote ahead of the 2027 general elections.

In a statement by its National Publicity Secretary, Bolaji Abdullahi, the ADC called on INEC to urgently clarify whether a leaked internal memo outlining the plan is genuine and reflects an official position of the Commission.

The party says the timing, less than ten months to the polls, raises serious concerns about access, fairness and the credibility of the electoral process, especially if already registered voters are required to undergo another round of verification within a short window.

The party said it had been inundated with reports of the memo and urged the electoral body to clear the air.

“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.

“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.

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

“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 party said.

It urged INEC to drop the reported plan and reassure Nigerians of its commitment to a credible and inclusive electoral process.

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

(Vanguard)

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