The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has explained why the preliminary voters’ register is not available on its official website, despite being displayed at registration areas across the country ahead of the 2027 general elections.
Mohammed Haruna, the National Commissioner and Chairman of INEC’s Information and Voter Education Committee, said the commission had made the register available at the ward level but had yet to upload it to its online platform.
Haruna disclosed this during an exclusive conversation with The PUNCH on Sunday, following concerns over the accessibility of the register and calls for the electoral body to make the document available for public inspection.
“The voter register has been published, but in the wards. It just wasn’t published on our website,” he said.
The explanation comes amid growing questions about why Nigerians could not access the preliminary register online during the period scheduled for its public display.
The development has also raised concerns about the ability of registered voters to verify their information without visiting designated registration areas.
The voters’ register is a critical part of the electoral process because it determines who is eligible to participate in elections and provides an opportunity to identify errors before the final list is approved.
Former Vice-President Atiku Abubakar had earlier criticised INEC over the absence of the register from its website. In a statement issued on Thursday, October 22, he called on the commission to make the preliminary list immediately accessible to the public.
Atiku questioned the commission’s failure to provide online access during the scheduled display period of October 9 to 15, 2026.
He argued that publishing the total number of registered voters was not enough to allow citizens to establish whether their names and other details had been correctly captured.
The former vice-president said public access to the detailed register was necessary for voters to identify omissions, correct mistakes and raise objections to entries they considered 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.
The controversy centres on the difference between displaying the preliminary register at ward level and publishing it on INEC’s official website.
Although Haruna confirmed that the register had been made available physically, his statement did not establish when the online version would be uploaded.
For voters who cannot easily visit their registration areas, the absence of an online copy could make it more difficult to verify their information.
Access to the register is particularly important for people who need to confirm that their names, photographs and other registration details have been properly recorded.
It also gives eligible voters an opportunity to identify possible duplicate entries or other irregularities before the commission concludes the process of preparing the final register.
Such checks are intended to improve the accuracy of the list and reduce disputes that could affect participation in an election.
Section 19(1) of the Electoral Act 2026 provides for the public display and publication of the voters’ register.
The provision requires INEC to set aside a seven-day period for public scrutiny within the timeframe prescribed by law.
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 requirement is designed to give voters and other members of the public an opportunity to examine the register and report concerns before the electoral process advances.
It also places importance on public access to the document through the channels specified in the law.
INEC’s clarification has therefore left questions about the timing of the online publication, especially given that the scheduled display period had already ended.
The commission has not, in the reported clarification, provided a specific date for uploading the register to its website.
The absence of a confirmed timeline means that questions about online access remain unresolved.