Popular Channels Television journalist and host of Politics Today, Seun Okinbaloye, has raised a serious alarm that Nigeria’s 2027 general election is already being rigged through the manipulation of the voters’ register, warning that the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) must act urgently to clean it up or risk a compromised poll.
Speaking during the closing segment of Politics Today on Friday night, October 30, 2026, Okinbaloye declared that electoral manipulation does not begin on election day but is already underway via the national voters’ register.
“The 2027 election is already being rigged right now. Not on election day. It is being rigged with the voters’ register. If INEC does not clean it up now, we are wasting our time,” he warned.
He pointed to intelligence and early signs of politicians exploiting the process, including cases of underage registration, double registration, and ghost voters surfacing across the country. Okinbaloye stressed that a compromised register forms the foundation for any later malpractice.
“If the register is dirty, the election is dirty. INEC must act now,” he added. He urged the commission to immediately commence a thorough audit and clean-up to remove fake names, dead voters, and underage entries, insisting Nigerians should not wait until election day to cry foul.
The remarks come amid growing controversy over the preliminary register of voters, which INEC says now exceeds 103 million names following Continuous Voter Registration and biometric processing. Recent public scrutiny and social media reports highlighted irregularities such as suspected AI-generated photographs, duplicate entries, and other questionable records. INEC has attributed some of these issues to registration officers who used official credentials to introduce irregularities, including AI-generated images, and has said it is investigating and cleaning the database.
The commission has received thousands of claims and objections during the display of the preliminary register and has targeted certification of the final register by mid-December 2026, ahead of the presidential and National Assembly elections scheduled for January 16, 2027.
Okinbaloye’s intervention has amplified calls from opposition parties and civil society for greater transparency, independent forensic audits, and decisive action against any officials involved in compromising the register. His post on X highlighting that “Voters Register lacking Integrity cannot produce a credible result” quickly gained significant traction.
Observers note that a clean, credible voters’ register remains central to public confidence in the 2027 polls. INEC has repeatedly stated it has no preferred candidate or party and is working to address discrepancies.
As political activities intensify, Okinbaloye’s warning underscores the view that the integrity of the coming elections will be determined long before ballot boxes are opened.
About the Author
