The Ideato Progressive Alliance (IPA) has raised the alarm over an alleged illegal midnight voter accreditation exercise in parts of Ideato North Local Government Area of Imo State, accusing agents of the outgoing member representing Ideato Federal Constituency, Hon. Ikenga Imo Ugochinyere, of involvement in the operation.
In a press statement signed by its President, Chief Ferdinand Nwosu, and dated November 4, 2026, the group alleged that persons working for Ugochinyere, alongside individuals suspected to be officials of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), moved around communities, including Urualla, late at night, conducting what it described as an unauthorised voter accreditation exercise. According to IPA, residents were allegedly summoned with their Permanent Voter Cards (PVCs), given ₦5,000 each, had their voter details recorded and were instructed to thumbprint an electronic device identified by eyewitnesses as the Bimodal Voter Accreditation System (BVAS).
The Alliance disclosed that the operation involved four vehicles, adding that it had obtained video recordings of the incident and was releasing them to the public as evidence requiring urgent investigation. It described the alleged exercise as a serious threat to electoral integrity, arguing that no political officeholder, candidate, party or private individual has the authority to conduct voter accreditation with BVAS or other INEC equipment outside officially approved procedures. IPA further alleged that the operation was designed to generate unauthorised accreditation records and compromise BVAS data ahead of the January 16, 2027 elections.
Expressing concern over the possible manipulation of electoral records, IPA alleged that information collected from unsuspecting residents could be exploited to distort accreditation figures, create discrepancies between actual voter turnout and electronic records, and provide grounds for subsequent electoral disputes in favour of Ugochinyere. It also raised concerns about possible unauthorised access to and compromise of BVAS devices scheduled for deployment in Ideato, demanding an independent forensic audit of all such equipment to ensure that no compromised device or manipulated record is used during the elections.
Consequently, the group called on INEC Chairman, Prof. Joash Ojo Amupitan, to order an immediate and transparent investigation, establish the identities of everyone involved and disclose whether any official authorisation was issued for the exercise. It also urged the Commission to investigate any National Commissioner or other official whose involvement or complicity may be established. IPA further called on the Nigeria Police Force, the Department of State Services (DSS) and other security agencies to identify and investigate the alleged perpetrators, trace the four vehicles involved, preserve the video evidence and prosecute anyone found culpable. It also demanded a public explanation from INEC over the alleged use of its equipment in the communities.
The Alliance urged residents of Ideato to remain vigilant, protect their PVCs and report suspicious electoral activities to the appropriate authorities, warning them against surrendering their voter information or participating in any accreditation exercise outside officially announced INEC procedures. It maintained that the people of Ideato deserve a credible election free from intimidation and manipulation, insisting that the outcome of the 2027 polls must reflect the freely expressed will of voters rather than questionable midnight operations or manipulated BVAS records.
