The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) of Nigeria has received over 4,800 claims and approximately 600 objections following the publication of its preliminary voter register. These claims, submitted at registration areas nationwide, primarily involve minor corrections. Ward-level objections were routed through Resident Electoral Commissioners (RECs). The national voter register currently stands at over 103 million registered citizens.
INEC Chairman, Prof. Joash Amupitan, disclosed the figures in Abuja during a meeting with an ECOWAS Pre-Election Fact-Finding Mission delegation. He assured the delegation that all complaints and discrepancies identified during the online and physical display phases will be resolved before the final voter register is officially certified on December 15, 2026.
To test readiness ahead of the 2027 general election, INEC plans to conduct nationwide mock accreditation exercises in November. The tests will evaluate voter accreditation and simultaneous electronic result transmission across all 36 states. New technical protocols include a safeguard requiring polling unit results to be authenticated locally before uploading to the INEC Result Viewing (IReV) portal.
Prof. Amupitan highlighted that when he assumed office, the question was whether to bring in a different technology, but that was not an option given the timeline, so the Commission focused on improving the existing system. He also disclosed that the Commission secured approval for the Consolidated Election Management Body Salary Structure (CEMBSS) to enhance welfare and curb political inducements.
The INEC Chairman reaffirmed the agency’s neutrality, stating that INEC “has no candidate and no political party.” The ECOWAS delegation, led by former Sierra Leonean Vice-President Victor Bockarie Foh and former Speaker, Dr. Abbas Chernor Bundu, is conducting a pre-election assessment under the ECOWAS Protocol on Democracy and Good Governance.
In a separate development, INEC released the outcomes of its review into complaints following the Oct. 10 publication of final Governorship and State Assembly candidates lists. The Commission evaluated petitions concerning omitted parties, unverified party register entries, and alleged multiple nominations. Out of 69 governorship petitions submitted by 12 political parties across 26 states, 41 succeeded while 28 were dismissed.
For State Houses of Assembly elections, 25 out of 61 petitions across 11 States were upheld. Updated candidate lists reflecting these corrections have been published on the Commission’s official website. The INEC Chairman also warned that anyone who threatens, intimidates or attacks the Commission’s ad-hoc staff, National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) members or permanent personnel during the 2027 General Election will face the full weight of the law.
Key points
- INEC received 4,800 claims and 600 objections on its preliminary voters register.
- The Commission will conduct nationwide mock accreditation exercises in November to test readiness for the 2027 general election.
- INEC reaffirmed its neutrality, stating it "has no candidate and no political party."
