Renowned broadcast journalist Seun Okinbaloye has cautioned that the 2027 general election runs the grave risk of being compromised prematurely unless urgent steps are taken to sanitise the electoral roll. Speaking during a recent broadcast of the current affairs program Politics Today, the media personality stressed that preemptive tampering with voter databases poses a severe threat to Nigeria's democratic future.
According to intelligence and early indicators highlighted during the program, political actors have allegedly commenced clandestine manipulations of the database managed by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC). These irregularities reportedly feature recurring instances of underage registrations, multiple entries, and phantom voters appearing across various parts of the country.
What did Seun Okinbaloye say about the 2027 polls?
Expressing deep concern over the trajectory of the electoral process, Okinbaloye maintained that the outcome of the upcoming general elections is effectively being undermined at this foundational stage rather than on voting day itself. He asserted that a failure to correct these systemic flaws immediately would render subsequent electoral participation largely ineffective.
"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," Okinbaloye stated during the live broadcast.
Why is an immediate audit necessary?
The prominent anchor strongly appealed to the electoral commission to initiate a comprehensive and transparent audit of the national register without delay. This exercise, he argued, is vital for identifying and expunging fictitious entries, deceased individuals, and ineligible minors whose presence distorts the integrity of the polling database.
Emphasizing the urgency of proactive governance, Okinbaloye noted that the electorate cannot afford to wait until polling day to lament electoral malpractice when the groundwork for manipulation is allegedly being laid through a compromised register. He concluded with a stern reminder that the credibility of any democratic exercise is intrinsically tied to the accuracy of its foundational data, reiterating that a flawed database inevitably produces an unacceptable electoral outcome.