• INEC registers over three million in second phase, tasks broadcasters on fairness
• U.S. lobby firm to brief Congress on INEC’s ‘weakness’

Presidential candidate of the Social Democratic Party (SDP) in 2023 general elections, Adewole Adebayo, has urged Nigerians to exercise their franchise and not boycott the 2027 general elections in the country.

Meanwhile, the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) said it recorded 3,441,121 completed registrations in the ongoing second phase of the Continuous Voter Registration (CVR) exercise.

However, a lobbying firm in the United States (U.S.), Von Batten-Montague-York, L.C., stated that it will brief congressional leadership and senior members of the U.S. National Security Council on the alleged weaknesses in INEC’s safeguarding of credible elections.

While featuring on Eagle 102.5 FM, Ilese-Ijebu, in Abeokuta, Ogun State, Adebayo blamed the President Bola Tinubu-led administration for “failing to fulfil its electioneering promises” on adequate security, jobs, economy and anti-corruption, among others.

Cautioning citizens not to hand power to the ruling APC by boycotting the next general election, the SDP chieftain said it was their constitutional right to vote and be voted for, despite crises within the opposition parties.

With the infiltration and destabilisation of major opposition parties by unseen hands, the presidential candidate charged Nigerians not to be discouraged but to ensure they vote, saying that failure to exercise their franchise would only hand power to politicians with selfish motives and questionable records.

He said: “When citizens abstain from voting, it is not the politicians who lose; it is the people themselves. SDP calls on every Nigerian to recognise the power they hold in their hands during elections, to reject calls for boycotts, and to ensure that their voices are part of the national conversation.”

ACCORDING to the Week 13 update released by the commission yesterday in Abuja, the figure comprises both online pre-registrations and physical walk-ins at various centres nationwide as of April 3.

The data revealed that 2,068,384 citizens completed their pre-registration online, while 1,372,737 voters opted for physical registration.

It also showed Jigawa leading with 201,047 representing 5.84 per cent of the total registrations; followed by Lagos with 181,095, while Kano State ranked third with 177,681.

The update further showed that participation of youths between the ages of 18 and 34 accounted for 2,354,768 (68.43 per cent of the new registrants.

In terms of gender distribution, females accounted for 1,922,143 (55.86 per cent) of the total new voter registrants, while males accounted for 1,518,978 (44.14 per cent.)

Meanwhile, INEC has underscored the critical role of broadcast media in safeguarding electoral integrity, urging broadcasters to uphold fairness, professionalism and accuracy ahead of the general elections.

Addressing the 81st General Assembly of the Broadcasting Organisations of Nigeria (BON) yesterday in Abuja, the INEC Chairman, Prof. Joash Amupitan, stressed that the management of the airwaves under the Electoral Act 2026 would be decisive in shaping public trust and democratic outcomes.

Amupitan noted that the growing influence of broadcast platforms made it central to political communication.

He warned: “Your airwaves have become the primary infrastructure of our democracy. If they are clear, the nation sees the truth; if they are clouded by misinformation, the sovereign will of the people is threatened.”

THE U.S. lobby firm acknowledged INEC’s capacity to manage federal elections, but expressed doubt that such would be utilised when confronted with deliberate efforts by political actors to manipulate and undermine the voting process.

“This was evident during the 2023 Nigerian elections, and current developments suggest the same pattern may be emerging again,” the firm said.

It said despite the U.S. House and Senate being in Easter recess, it is actively echoing the State Department’s assessment to key members of Congress and intends to brief congressional leadership and senior members of the U.S. National Security Council early next week.

It said, unlike the Joe Biden administration, which took no meaningful action in 2023, it is not in President Donald Trump’s nature to remain passive in the face of an election being openly undermined.

“We will recommend to the Office of the President and Congress that Global Magnitsky sanctions (#GloMag) be imposed on any Nigerian politician or official of the INEC who engages in efforts to rig Nigeria’s ongoing electoral process,” the firm said.

It advised that the measures should include freezing all foreign assets, restricting access to the global financial system, and imposing travel bans on individuals and their immediate family members.