Channels Television journalist, Seun Okinbaloye has raised the alarm that efforts to manipulate the 2027 general elections may already be under way, arguing that electoral integrity is decided long before polling day.

Speaking on *Politics Today*, Okinbaloye said rigging does not typically start when voters cast their ballots. “The election is usually not rigged on election day, don’t get it wrong. The rigging of the election has in fact begun a few months ago and is still much on course,” he stated. He added that failure to act immediately could leave the process compromised: “If you don’t take action and speak up now, forget it. 2027 election is already rigged and this is time to clean it up and make sure that it doesn’t happen.”

In a related post he declared an “Election Rigging Alert,” stressing that a voters’ register lacking integrity cannot produce a credible result. His comments come against the backdrop of intense public scrutiny of the Independent National Electoral Commission’s preliminary register of voters, which contains more than 103 million names and was published online in late October.

The register has faced widespread criticism over suspected artificial-intelligence-generated photographs, questionable records, and other irregularities. INEC has acknowledged that some of its registration officers used their official credentials to introduce AI-generated images and irregular entries into the database.

The commission says it has flagged problematic records, received more than 5,400 claims and objections during the display period, and is cleaning the register ahead of final certification targeted for mid-December 2026.

INEC Chairman, Professor Joash Amupitan has repeatedly insisted that the commission has no preferred candidate or political party for the 2027 elections and that its sole allegiance is to the law and the Nigerian electorate.

Opposition parties, including the African Democratic Congress, have nevertheless demanded an independent forensic audit of the register and questioned why officers involved in the irregularities have not faced stronger sanctions.

Okinbaloye’s intervention frames the current controversy over the voters’ register as the critical early stage of the 2027 electoral process, urging both the public and the electoral body to address integrity issues before they become irreversible.