The Conference of Nigeria Political Parties (CNPP) has called for an independent investigation into 54 personnel of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) allegedly linked to irregularities during the 2025/2026 Continuous Voter Registration exercise.
The coalition also demanded a comprehensive forensic audit of the electoral commission and the prosecution of any officials found guilty of manipulating registration records.
The demands followed disclosures by INEC Chairman, Professor Joash Amupitan, who reportedly revealed that the commission had identified several irregularities in its voter registration database.
According to the figures released by INEC, 1,608,660 invalid registration records were removed, while 873 verified deceased persons were deleted from the voters’ register. The commission also identified 54 personnel across 10 states allegedly connected to registration irregularities.
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In a statement issued on Tuesday, the CNPP’s Deputy National Publicity Secretary, James Ezema, said the revelations raised questions about INEC’s internal monitoring systems and the reliability of the voters’ register.
The organisation urged relevant security and law enforcement agencies to investigate the affected personnel and establish whether the alleged violations were carried out individually or in collaboration with politicians and other interests.
It insisted that any electoral official found guilty of deliberately manipulating registration records, abusing public office or compromising the electoral process should face prosecution, regardless of political affiliation or official position.
The CNPP also expressed concerns about INEC’s planned technological improvements, including biometric authentication, application-based photograph capture and an Artificial Intelligence Governance Framework.
It maintained that technology alone could not guarantee credible elections without independent monitoring, transparent procedures, effective internal controls and accountability.
The coalition called on INEC to make its AI governance framework public, conduct independent cybersecurity assessments of its digital infrastructure and review voter registration irregularities recorded between 2011 and 2023.
It further warned that the Bimodal Voter Accreditation System (BVAS) could not independently prevent electoral fraud, noting that manipulation could happen at different stages of an election, from voter registration to the declaration of results.
Ahead of the 2027 general elections, the CNPP urged the National Assembly to strengthen electoral laws and introduce tougher penalties for deliberate and organised attempts to undermine the electoral process.
Citing Section 14(2)(a) of the 1999 Constitution, the coalition argued that electoral fraud threatens the sovereignty of Nigerians, while emphasising the need to protect citizens’ rights to fair hearing and due process.
The organisation also raised concerns about INEC’s handling of political party leadership disputes, particularly the controversy involving the African Democratic Congress (ADC).
It called for transparency and consistency in the commission’s implementation of court decisions.
Additionally, the CNPP urged the National Assembly to establish a legal framework for early voting by essential election personnel, including journalists, electoral officials and security operatives.
It reiterated its demand for an independent audit of INEC’s voter registration processes, digital infrastructure and internal supervisory mechanisms ahead of the 2027 elections.
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