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PRESS STATEMENT FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE 30 October 2026 Abuja, Nigeria VOTER REGISTER SCANDAL: VILLAGE BOYS MOVEMENT DEMANDS IMMEDIATE RESIGNATION OF INEC CHAIRMAN, ICT DIRECTOR, AND PROSECUTION OF THOSE RESPONSIBLE The Village Boys Movement (VBM) condemns, in the strongest possible terms, the disturbing revelations surrounding irregularities in Nigeria’s preliminary Register of Voters. The public admission by INEC’s Director of ICT, Dr. Lawrence Bayode, during an interview on ARISE News, raises grave questions about the integrity of the electoral process and the ability of the Commission to guarantee credible elections in 2027. According to the reported admission, individuals with authorised access to INEC’s registration systems introduced irregularities into the preliminary voters’ register, including photographs allegedly generated using Artificial Intelligence (AI). This is an alarming development that strikes at the very foundation of electoral credibility. This is not a mere technical malfunction. It is a serious breach of public trust that demands immediate accountability. The most troubling aspect of this revelation is the reported acknowledgment that INEC knows what happened and how it happened. If the Commission has identified the methods, individuals and access points through which these irregularities occurred, why have those responsible not been publicly identified and held accountable? Nigerians cannot be expected to entrust their democratic future to an electoral institution that cannot provide satisfactory answers about the integrity of its own voters’ register. The Chairman of INEC, Professor Joash Ojo Amupitan, bears institutional responsibility for the Commission's operations and the credibility of the electoral process. The Director of ICT, Dr. Lawrence Bayode, must equally answer for the integrity of the technological systems under his supervision. The 2027 elections must not become an exercise in legitimising a compromised electoral register. Nigeria's democracy is too important to be left at the mercy of institutional negligence, unexplained irregularities or possible deliberate manipulation. OUR DEMANDS: ACCOUNTABILITY MUST NOT BE NEGOTIATED The Village Boys Movement makes the following demands: 1. IMMEDIATE RESIGNATION OF THE INEC CHAIRMAN AND DIRECTOR OF ICT Professor Joash Ojo Amupitan, Chairman of INEC, and Dr. Lawrence Bayode, Director of ICT, must immediately resign their positions pending a full and independent investigation. The integrity of the electoral register is fundamental to INEC's mandate, and the present controversy demands the highest level of leadership accountability. 2. ARREST AND PROSECUTION OF ALL OFFICIALS IMPLICATED All registration officers, technical personnel and other officials found to have introduced, facilitated or knowingly permitted falsified information into the voters’ register must be investigated, arrested where legally justified, and prosecuted where sufficient evidence establishes criminal liability. No individual, regardless of rank or position, must be shielded from the law. 3. INDEPENDENT FORENSIC AUDIT OF THE ENTIRE PRELIMINARY VOTERS’ REGISTER We demand a comprehensive, independent forensic examination of the entire preliminary register, including its databases, access logs, registration records, image submissions and modification histories. The findings must be made public, with the identities of responsible officials disclosed where legally appropriate and every irregular entry accounted for. This audit must be concluded before the proposed final certification of the register on 15 December 2026. No compromised register should be allowed to proceed to final certification. 4. IMMEDIATE INVESTIGATION BY THE ICPC AND EFCC The Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) and the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) must urgently investigate any evidence of corruption, conspiracy, abuse of office or institutional complicity connected to the reported irregularities. The investigation must not stop at junior registration officers if evidence points to involvement or negligence at higher levels. 5. PUBLIC DISCLOSURE AND GUARANTEES AGAINST FUTURE MANIPULATION INEC must publish a detailed account of the irregularities discovered, the remedial measures undertaken, and the safeguards being introduced to prevent unauthorised access, falsification or manipulation of voter information ahead of the 2027 general elections. NIGERIANS WILL NOT ACCEPT A COMPROMISED DEMOCRACY Let it be clearly understood: Nigeria's voters’ register is not the private property of INEC officials. It is a national democratic asset entrusted to the Commission for the sole purpose of protecting the constitutional right of citizens to vote. Every Nigerian whose vote is threatened by irregularities in that register has a legitimate right to demand answers. Every political party, civil society organisation and democratic institution has a responsibility to insist on transparency. We reject any attempt to dismiss these revelations as routine technical issues or to bury the matter under promises of an administrative cleanup. Nigerians deserve evidence, accountability and verifiable corrective action, not carefully worded explanations. A credible election begins with a credible voters’ register. Without an accurate, transparent and verifiable register, public confidence in the entire electoral process is placed in jeopardy. The Village Boys Movement therefore calls on the National Assembly, civil society organisations, political parties, the media and all Nigerians to demand a transparent investigation and full accountability. INEC must understand that Nigerians are watching. The credibility of the 2027 elections cannot be negotiated, compromised or taken for granted. We will continue to demand transparency, accountability and the protection of every Nigerian's democratic right. OUR VOTES ARE NOT FOR SALE. OUR DEMOCRACY IS NOT FOR MANIPULATION. NIGERIA BELONGS TO THE PEOPLE! SIGNED: Maazi Tochukwu Ezeoke The Village Headmaster Village Boys Movement (VBM)

🚨 ENUGU, THIS IS THE MOMENT TO STAND UP! Guys, everyone in Enugu and the surrounding areas, let’s turn out in our numbers at Amadeo Event Centre tomorrow for Peter Obi’s Town Hall! Reports indicate that the governor has allegedly directed that the venue must not be decorated for the Town Hall. But we are not backing down from our commitment to peaceful civic engagement. See video ! OUR PRESENCE WILL SPEAK LOUDER THAN WORDS! Call your friends. Mobilise your family. Alert your neighbours. Spread the word across Enugu and beyond! Let us show up peacefully, stand firm, and make our voices heard. No intimidation, no retreat, just people exercising their civic rights. ENOUGH IS ENOUGH! 📍 VENUE: Amadeo Event Centre, Enugu WHEN: Tomorrow ENUGU, LET’S SHOW UP! LET’S STAND FIRM! LET’S MAKE OUR PRESENCE COUNT! ✊🇳🇬