Former Postmaster-General of the Federation and Chief Executive Officer of the Nigerian Postal Service (NIPOST), Bisi Adegbuyi, has called for an independent technical audit of Nigeria’s voters’ register. The proposed audit aims to strengthen the accuracy, integrity, and credibility of the register ahead of future elections. Adegbuyi's suggestion comes amid concerns about the integrity of voter records.
Adegbuyi stated that the proposed review should examine the accuracy of voters' locations, consistency of registration records, and verifiability of information in the register. He made the call in a statement, highlighting the need for attention to geographic data accuracy, voter identification, and transmission of election results.
The former Postmaster-General recalled proposing a technical framework on February 27, 2026, to modernise existing voter addresses. The framework recommended machine-assisted interpretation, geographic resolution, and digital location referencing to improve voter-location data quality and reliability.
Adegbuyi's framework could help electoral administrators detect inconsistencies and identify unusual concentrations of registrations in particular locations. It would also improve the verification of polling-unit assignments. He emphasised that the proposed system would complement existing electoral systems, not replace Permanent Voter Cards (PVCs) or biometric verification.
The renewed call comes amid concerns about questionable voter photographs and possible procedural lapses in handling voter information. Adegbuyi acknowledged that geographic verification alone would not resolve every issue relating to voter identity or data integrity.
Adegbuyi urged relevant authorities to subject his earlier recommendations to an independent technical assessment to determine their feasibility and potential benefits. He stressed that any review or implementation must comply with electoral laws, data-protection requirements, and the statutory responsibilities of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).
The objective, according to Adegbuyi, is to improve the reliability of the voters’ register without undermining existing voter-identification and biometric verification arrangements. He argued that the credibility of the register depended on establishing who was registered and confirming the accuracy and consistency of associated information.
Key points
- Bisi Adegbuyi calls for independent technical audit of Nigeria's voters' register.
- Proposed audit aims to strengthen accuracy, integrity, and credibility of the register.
- Framework recommends machine-assisted interpretation, geographic resolution, and digital location referencing.
