The Conference of Nigeria Political Parties, CNPP, has demanded an independent forensic audit of the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, following revelations of widespread irregularities in the 2025/2026 Continuous Voter Registration exercise.
The coalition also called for the prosecution of electoral officials found culpable, comprehensive reforms of INEC and stronger legislation to prevent organised electoral fraud ahead of the 2027 general elections.
In a statement issued on Tuesday and signed by its Deputy National Publicity Secretary, Comrade James Ezema, the CNPP said the revelations by INEC Chairman, Professor Joash Amupitan, SAN, raised serious concerns about the commission’s internal controls and credibility. 
According to the coalition, “INEC disclosed that it had removed 1,608,660 invalid voter registration records, expunged 873 verified deceased persons and identified 54 personnel across ten states allegedly involved in registration irregularities.”
The CNPP described the figures as evidence of potentially serious weaknesses in the systems responsible for protecting the integrity of Nigeria’s voters’ register.
It demanded independent investigations into the 54 identified personnel, insisting that suspected electoral manipulation should not be treated merely as an internal administrative matter.
The coalition urged relevant law enforcement agencies to establish the extent of the alleged misconduct and determine whether the individuals acted independently or alongside political actors and other interests.
It maintained that any official found guilty of deliberately manipulating electoral records, abusing public office or compromising the registration process should face prosecution, regardless of political connections or official status.
The CNPP also expressed concerns about INEC’s proposed technological reforms, including biometric authentication, application-controlled photograph capture and an Artificial Intelligence Governance Framework.
“Technological improvements would only strengthen electoral credibility if supported by independent monitoring, effective institutional controls, transparent audit trails and enforceable accountability mechanisms,” the organisation argued.
The coalition called on INEC to publish its AI governance framework, conduct independent cybersecurity assessments of its digital infrastructure and review inherited voter registration irregularities dating from 2011 to 2023.
It further warned that the Bimodal Voter Accreditation System (BVAS) alone could not guarantee credible elections, noting that manipulation could occur at different stages of the electoral process, from registration to the declaration of results.
Ahead of the 2027 elections, the CNPP urged the National Assembly to strengthen electoral crime legislation and consider severe penalties for deliberate, organised and large-scale electoral subversion.
Citing Section 14(2)(a) of the 1999 Constitution, the coalition argued that electoral fraud undermines the sovereignty of Nigerians, while stressing that any new legislation must protect fair hearing, due process and legitimate political activities.
The organisation also raised concerns about INEC’s handling of politically sensitive party leadership disputes, particularly the African Democratic Congress, ADC, controversy, and called for transparent, consistent and impartial implementation of court decisions.
