…raises alarm over INEC voter register, electoral technology
...says INEC must brief Nigerians weekly on 2027 election readiness
The Labour Party (LP) presidential candidate for the 2027 general elections, Dr. Chibuzo Okereke, has expressed concern over challenges facing the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), particularly issues surrounding the voters register and the security of electoral technology.
Okereke, who spoke in an exclusive interview with Nigerian Tribune on Sunday, also discussed the party’s preparations and emerging political realignments ahead of the elections.
He said regular updates from the electoral umpire would help address public concerns and prevent speculation about its level of preparedness.
Calling for greater transparency and accountability in the electoral process, he urged INEC to provide weekly briefings on its preparations to bridge the communication gap and reassure Nigerians about the credibility of the January 20, 2027 general elections.
He said: “For now, I think the issue of the voters register is a major challenge for INEC to deal with and the safety of electoral technology.
“To bridge the gap, INEC needs to ensure weekly briefing on the state of their readiness for 2027 elections. When they leave communications gap, they allow for public speculations which affects confidence level of the people.”
While expressing confidence in INEC’s ability to conduct the elections, Okereke noted that unresolved controversies and challenges from previous electoral exercises continued to affect public confidence in the commission.
“I am confident INEC would deliver. However, right now they are suffering from the baggage of previous INEC issues that remained unresolved,” he said.
He argued that the credibility of an election should not be determined solely by whether an opposition party defeats an incumbent, but by whether the outcome reflects the will of the electorate and meets democratic standards.
“The fact is that elections are only fair and credible because an opposition party defeated an incumbent. Elections are credible because it reflects the popular will of the people and meets all democratic credentials,” he stated.
The LP presidential candidate also raised concerns about INEC’s institutional capacity to supervise political parties, regulate election campaigns and address electoral violence.
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He said improving the electoral environment required collective commitment from all stakeholders.
According to him, “There are questions of capacity within INEC to effectively supervise political parties, campaigns and electoral violence. We must elevate our electoral ecosystem to issue-based, and it is a task for all.”
On the possibility of the Labour Party joining opposition coalition arrangements aimed at producing a consensus presidential candidate for the 2027 elections, Okereke disclosed that the party had received several invitations but remained committed to its existing political structure.
Asked whether the G100, African Democratic Congress (ADC), All Progressives Congress (APC) or other political groups had approached the party to join an opposition coalition, he said the Labour Party was already operating as a coalition platform.
“There have been a lot of efforts and invitations, especially by other opposition parties. However, as you know, the Labour Party is already a coalition party, having the NLC and TUC and Nigerian workers as institutional members. So we are staying the course on our natural coalition structures,” he said.
He also dismissed suggestions that he was considering stepping aside for another aspirant under a proposed opposition arrangement, saying he preferred the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC) to support his presidential ambition.
“As the Presidential Candidate, I have no such plans. I prefer NDC to collapse their structures and support me,” he stated.
On the recruitment and deployment of polling agents nationwide, Okereke said the Labour Party had commenced the electronic registration of its agents through INEC’s designated polling agents portal.
He explained that the party had adopted a decentralised approach involving its ward and local government structures, candidates’ support groups and political committees of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) to ensure adequate representation at polling units.
“We are already uploading Polling Agents across the country using the INEC Polling Agents Portal,” he said.
Addressing concerns that some prospective polling agents had allegedly declined appointments in certain northern states, raising fears of a repeat of challenges experienced during the 2023 general elections, Okereke said the party was relying on its grassroots structures to address the situation.
“We are operating a decentralised model working with Party Structures at the Ward and LGA levels, Candidates support groups and NLC Political Committees at the grassroots to nominate and upload agents,” he explained.
Giving an update on the exercise, the LP candidate said the party had distributed nomination forms to its structures and candidates since September, while the electronic uploading of agents began on October 15.
“In September, we issued a memo and distributed agents nomination forms for Party Structures and Candidates to use. Agents Upload on INEC portal started on October 15th and phase one will end by December 10th,” he said.
He disclosed that the party had created accounts for 33 states, including the Federal Capital Territory, with four states yet to be covered.
“We are making steady progress. INEC has made the portal more user friendly.
“We have created states accounts for 33 states including FCT. We have four more states to go. All states are working to upload agents,” he said.
Okereke also confirmed that the exercise was being conducted entirely through INEC’s online platform, in line with the commission’s guidelines for the electronic submission and accreditation of polling and collation agents.
Under the guidelines published on INEC’s polling agents portal, recognised political parties are required to submit their nominations electronically, replacing the previous system of manual submission of hard-copy documents. Only nominations submitted and certified through the portal are recognised by the commission.
The guidelines also provide that accreditation access codes are issued directly to national chairmen of political parties for distribution to authorised officials.
Photographs submitted for accreditation must show clear frontal features against plain backgrounds and undergo automated biometric and quality checks. The verification system also flags duplicate nominations across polling units or political parties.
Okereke maintained that the success of the 2027 elections would depend not only on the deployment of party agents and the activities of political parties but also on INEC’s institutional preparedness, the security of electoral technology, transparency in managing the voters register and the commitment of political actors to issue-based campaigns and peaceful electoral competition.
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