The Chief Imam of Al-Furqan Mosque in Kano, Dr Bashir Aliyu Umar, has condemned the Independent National Electoral Commission's (INEC) directive requiring all voters to revalidate their cards within a specified period. Speaking during his Friday sermon, Dr Umar, who also serves as President of the Supreme Council for Sharia in Nigeria (SCSN), termed the policy "unfair" and warned it could strip millions of Nigerians of their voting rights. He argued the revalidation requirement is absent in current electoral law and dismissed the two-month window as unrealistic. "Whosoever has a voter's card has the right to vote and decide who rules," he said. "They are simply trying to render the voter's card useless despite the fact that we spent a long time sensitising people on its importance."
Dr Umar linked the directive to broader fears of disenfranchisement, particularly in populous regions where logistics, insecurity and travel constraints could prevent access to revalidation centres. He cited unrest in Libya, Sudan and Syria as cautionary examples of what might unfold if citizens feel politically excluded. The cleric renewed his call for the removal of INEC's chairman, alleging the commission's leadership holds "sinister intentions against Nigerian Muslims." He urged lawmakers to oppose the policy, stating, "We are waiting for them because we didn't hear anything from them," and affirmed that Muslims would respond through civic voice and prayer.
Dr Bashir Aliyu Umar's objection to voter revalidation isn't just about logistics—it frames a major electoral change as a targeted exclusion of Muslim voters. Given that INEC has not cited any legal basis for the revalidation, the policy risks appearing arbitrary rather than administrative. For millions of Nigerians already struggling with mobility and access, this directive could quietly erase their participation. If unaddressed, such moves don't just weaken trust in elections—they make the system look rigged by design.
