Nigerian newspapers review: [INEC in Eye of the Storm] Electoral body battles to clean voters’ register — Investigation

In today’s “Today in the News” newspaper review programme, Nigerian media outlets highlighted a range of issues ahead of the 2027 elections, from the Independent National Electoral Commission’s (INEC) effort to cleanse the voters’ register to political parties’ policy proposals, an escalating electricity crisis, the potential role of artificial intelligence in election integrity, and a planned rail‑network inauguration by President Bola Tinubu.

Vanguard led the coverage with an investigative report on INEC, stating that the electoral body is under pressure to address alleged duplications and other discrepancies in the voters’ register, a test of its integrity as the country prepares for upcoming polls.

The African Democratic Congress (ADC) called on the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) to “test its popularity at the polls” rather than resort to court battles, while governorship candidates from the ADC, APC, Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC) and Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Lagos presented proposals on housing, transportation and healthcare in anticipation of the 2027 governorship election.

The Guardian warned that Nigeria’s electricity crisis could worsen with the onset of the dry season, threatening to reverse gains made during the rainy season and exposing persistent generation shortfalls, mounting debts to power producers and gas suppliers, and systemic failures across the electricity value chain.

Experts quoted by The Punch suggested that artificial intelligence could help INEC detect duplicate voter registrations and strengthen the voters’ register ahead of the 2027 general elections. Meanwhile, The Nation reported that the APC’s Presidential Campaign Council announced President Tinubu’s plan to inaugurate rail links next month connecting Kaduna, Kano and Katsina to the Federal Capital Territory.

<small>Source: Vanguard News — read the original story there.</small>