“INEC Has Compromised the Process” — AAC Demands Restoration of Purged Records

The African Action Congress has threatened to boycott the 2027 general elections and stage mass protests over the Independent National Electoral Commission’s decision to delete 1.6 million voter registrations from the national register, accusing the commission of compromising the electoral process and disenfranchising legitimate voters.

The AAC boycott threat was issued in a statement on Monday by the party’s National Chairman, following INEC’s announcement that it had removed 1,609,553 records, comprising 1,608,660 invalid registrations and 873 verified deceased-voter records, ValidViewNetwork reports .

THE THREAT

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The party was unequivocal. “We will not participate in an election conducted on a compromised register. If INEC does not reverse this mass deletion and publish the full details of those affected, we will call for a total boycott of the 2027 elections,” the statement read.

The AAC also threatened mass protests, saying its members would take to the streets across the country if INEC did not provide a transparent accounting of the deletions.

“We are watching. We are mobilising. And if the electoral commission does not listen to the people, we will shut down the country,” the statement added.

THE INEC POSITION

INEC had announced on Monday that the deletions were part of a comprehensive cleaning of the register through its Automated Biometric Identification System, which identified invalid registrations, deceased voters, and fraudulent records.

The commission’s chairman, Professor Joash Amupitan, said the purge was necessary to ensure the integrity of the 2027 elections and that 54 staff members involved in the irregularities had been identified and were facing disciplinary action .

THE ANALYTICAL LENS

The AAC’s threat is a political gamble. On one hand, a boycott would reduce the party’s chances of winning seats and undermine its claim to be a serious contender in 2027.

On the other hand, participating in an election on a register that the party believes is compromised would legitimise a process it considers flawed.

The party’s position is a challenge to INEC. If the commission can prove that the deletions were legitimate, the AAC will have to reconsider its stance. If it cannot, the party will have grounds to follow through on its threat.

For INEC, the AAC’s ultimatum is a reminder that the register issue is not just technical. It is political. And it is far from resolved. ValidViewNetwork reports.