The African Democratic Congress (ADC) has accused the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) of undermining its own credibility ahead of the 2027 general elections, alleging that the commission’s repeated failures could provide grounds for postponing the polls.

The opposition party raised the concern in a statement yesterday by its National Publicity Secretary, Bolaji Abdullahi, citing alleged irregularities in the voters’ register, including the use of artificial intelligence-generated photographs and fictitious entries, as well as INEC’s failure to publish the preliminary register within the statutory timeframe.

The ADC said INEC’s reported admission that some of its registration officials were responsible for introducing irregularities into the register raised questions about the commission’s commitment to electoral integrity.

“If INEC knows that its own officials compromised the voters’ register with AI-generated photographs, why has nobody been arrested? Why have these individuals not been handed over for prosecution? What exactly is INEC waiting for?” the party asked.

It also faulted the commission for failing to publish the preliminary voters’ register online within the timeframe stipulated by Section 19(1) of the Electoral Act 2026, which, according to the party, requires the register to be made available for public scrutiny not later than 90 days before the general election.

The ADC noted that Section 19(5) provides penalties, including fines and imprisonment, for INEC officials who fail to comply with the publication requirement.

The party questioned why INEC, which had years to prepare for the elections, appeared unable to produce and publish a credible voters’ register in accordance with the law.

“We are beginning to wonder whether INEC is intentionally trying to make itself incompetent. Because how else do you explain an electoral umpire that had at least three years to prepare for elections, but is suddenly unable or unwilling to produce a credible voters’ register in accordance with the strict requirements of the law?” it asked.

The ADC said the commission’s conduct had heightened concerns about its willingness to comply with other mandatory provisions of the Electoral Act during the elections.

It questioned what assurances Nigerians had that INEC would deploy the Bimodal Voter Accreditation System (BVAS), use serialised ballot papers and observe other statutory safeguards on election day if it could allegedly disregard the law governing the publication of the voters’ register.

The party warned that such lapses could erode public confidence in the electoral process and fuel suspicions about the timing of the 2027 polls, despite repeated denials by the Federal Government of plans to postpone the elections.

The ADC demanded an independent forensic audit of the voters’ register, the identification and investigation of officials implicated in the alleged irregularities, and a public explanation of INEC’s failure to comply with the statutory publication requirement.

It insisted that preparations for the elections must be guided by strict compliance with the Electoral Act rather than explanations for administrative failures.

“The 2027 elections cannot be left to the discretion of an electoral umpire that appears increasingly comfortable with breaking its own rules. INEC must understand that compliance with the Electoral Act is not optional.

“Nigerians deserve credible elections, not a succession of excuses designed to prepare them for a predetermined outcome,” the party said. (The Nation)