Channels Television journalist Seun Okinbaloye has clarified his controversial remarks about the 2027 general elections, insisting that his warning about electoral manipulation was directed at irregularities in the voters’ register rather than any political party or candidate.
Speaking on Sunday’s edition of Sunday Politics, Okinbaloye defended his earlier statement that the process of rigging the elections had already begun.
The broadcaster explained that his concerns followed revelations by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) that questionable records had been introduced into its preliminary voters’ database.
He maintained that the discovery raised serious questions about the integrity of the electoral process and required urgent investigation.
According to Okinbaloye, his remarks on Friday’s Politics Today were intended to draw public attention to potential vulnerabilities before the elections.
“My message targets no party or individual. It calls everyone to a shared responsibility. Let us think deeply, examine the evidence, and roll up our sleeves now,” he said.
He illustrated his concerns with a hypothetical polling unit containing 600 registered voters, of whom 400 were fictitious or otherwise invalid.
Okinbaloye questioned the implications if Permanent Voter Cards had been issued against such entries and electoral safeguards were subsequently bypassed to cast fraudulent votes.
However, he acknowledged that questionable registration records did not automatically translate into fraudulent ballots.
He stressed that the central issue was whether INEC’s verification and accreditation systems could prevent invalid entries from being exploited.
The journalist called for an independent audit of the register, removal of confirmed invalid records and prosecution of individuals found responsible for deliberate manipulation.
He also urged the commission to publicly explain the irregularities discovered and the corrective measures being implemented.
“A credible election begins with a credible voters’ register,” Okinbaloye declared.
His comments followed disclosures by INEC’s Director of Information and Communication Technology, Dr Lawrence Bayode, concerning suspicious entries in the preliminary register.
Bayode said some registration officials allegedly used their authorised login credentials to introduce questionable records, including photographs suspected to have been generated using artificial intelligence.
Speaking on Arise Television on Friday, he explained that the commission identified irregularities through its Automated Biometric Identification System.
INEC has maintained that the published register remains preliminary and is undergoing verification, including a claims and objections exercise allowing citizens to report inaccuracies.
The commission also pledged to complete verification and data-cleanup procedures before certifying the final voters’ register on December 15, 2026.
Okinbaloye urged political parties, security agencies and Nigerians to focus on addressing the identified weaknesses rather than debating his choice of words.
He emphasised that electoral credibility depended on preparations undertaken long before polling day.
While acknowledging that the irregularities did not establish an organised election-rigging conspiracy, he insisted that protecting the voters’ register was essential to safeguarding the credibility of the 2027 polls.
Ezeana Emmanuel
