The Action Peoples Party (APP) has petitioned the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) over alleged irregularities and suspected inflation of voter figures in the 2026 Preliminary Register of Voters for the Ugirike/Okwu/Eziama Registration Area in Ikeduru Local Government Area of Imo State.
The party is demanding a forensic audit of the affected registration area before INEC certifies the final voters’ register on December 15, 2026.
The petition, addressed to INEC National Chairman, Professor Joash Amupitan, was received at the commission’s headquarters in Abuja on November 11. It was submitted on behalf of the party and its Imo East Senatorial District candidate, Dr Chima Amadi.
The APP’s National Chairman, Uchenna Nnadi, and National Secretary, Abu Ibrahim Bossan, disclosed the development in a statement made available to journalists.
According to the party, figures in INEC’s preliminary register show that the Ugirike/Okwu/Eziama Registration Area accounts for 23,984 of Ikeduru’s 141,427 registered voters despite having only 21 of the local government’s 227 polling units.
The party argued that the registration area represents approximately 17 per cent of Ikeduru’s registered voters but has only nine per cent of its polling units.
It further claimed that the 21 polling units have an average of 1,142 registered voters each, compared with an average of 570 across the other 206 polling units in the local government.
The APP also identified Eke Amaehi Village Square polling unit, with code 16-08-10-021, as having 3,117 registered voters, which it described as the highest figure among the 2,005 polling units in Owerri Zone.
The party said the figure was 932 higher than the 2,185 registered voters recorded at Urban Secondary School, the largest polling unit in Owerri Municipal.
It also compared the figures with those of other wards in Ikeduru, arguing that the registration pattern required closer scrutiny.
According to the APP, the six polling units in Eziama average 1,640 voters, while three additional units numbered 019 to 021 account for 6,901 registered voters. It added that eight of Ikeduru’s 10 largest polling units are located within the same registration area.
The party maintained that the discrepancies raised concerns about the credibility of the figures and warranted an independent examination by INEC.
The APP also recalled that INEC acknowledged on October 27, 2026, that irregularities, including suspected AI-generated photographs, had been identified during the public display of the preliminary voters’ register.
Consequently, the party asked the commission to conduct a forensic audit of all registration records in the affected area, beginning with polling units 16-08-10-011 to 016 and 019 to 021.
It specifically demanded biometric verification through fingerprint and facial recognition against the national voters’ register, as well as confirmation of the eligibility and residential details of registrants.
The party also wants INEC to disclose the number of registrations recorded in each phase of the Continuous Voter Registration exercise in the nine identified polling units, including the dates, devices and officials involved.
Other demands include the removal of invalid records, withholding disputed entries from the final register until the audit is completed, and disciplinary action or prosecution of anyone found responsible for manipulating the registration process.
The APP further requested that its representatives be allowed to observe the audit and that INEC provide a written response to its petition within 14 days.
Describing the alleged irregularities as a threat to electoral credibility, the party said every genuine voter in the senatorial district could be affected by an inaccurate register.
It warned that it would consider all available legal options under the Constitution and the Electoral Act, 2026, if its complaints were not addressed before the final register is certified.
The allegations remain claims made by the APP, and INEC’s response to the petition and the outcome of any proposed audit are yet to be established.
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