The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has removed 1,608,660 invalid voter registrations from the preliminary voters register. The commission also identified 54 staff members across 10 states for disciplinary action, including possible prosecution, over their alleged involvement in registration irregularities. This is part of efforts to strengthen the credibility and integrity of the electoral process ahead of the 2027 general elections.
The INEC chairman, Prof. Joash Amupitan, disclosed this in Abuja while briefing journalists on the outcome of the commission's review of the preliminary register. He described the exercise as crucial to ensuring the integrity of the voter register. The commission harvested 11,088,238 registration records from the 2025/2026 Continuous Voter Registration (CVR) exercise, out of which 1,545,052 were flagged for further examination by its Automated Biometric Identification System (ABIS).
Following biometric screening and public complaints, 1,277,052 registrations were confirmed invalid and excluded before the publication of the preliminary register. The commission received complaints, claims and objections from members of the public after displaying the register between October 9 and 15. This led to further investigations, with 268,000 cases subjected to adjudication.
Out of the 268,000 cases, 217,722 were confirmed invalid and removed, while 50,278 were cleared as valid and retained. Additional screening identified another 113,886 invalid registrations, bringing the total number of invalid records removed after the review to 331,608. The INEC chairman said the commission's investigation uncovered deliberate attempts by some registration personnel to circumvent established procedures.
The affected records have been identified and subjected to corrective measures, while the personnel implicated have been identified for administrative investigation. Amupitan warned that the irregularities were not limited to the recent registration exercise, explaining that a significant number of multiple registrations and questionable records circulating on social media originated from historical voter data captured between 2011 and 2023.
The commission has resolved to extend its scrutiny to questionable records in the historical register, directing that already flagged cases and obvious irregularities should be removed after proper verification. Amupitan recalled that the commission had proposed a nationwide voter revalidation exercise to address inconsistencies in historical records but deferred it due to concerns from stakeholders.
On complaints by some Nigerians that their names were missing from the preliminary register, Amupitan advised affected voters to check the locations where they initially registered. The distribution of Permanent Voter Cards (PVCs) is ongoing, with some PVCs from the third and final phase still being delivered from overseas production centres. The final register of voters is scheduled for publication on December 15, 2026.
Key points
- INEC removes 1.6 million invalid voter registrations and identifies 54 staff members for disciplinary action.
- The commission extends scrutiny to questionable records in the historical register.
- The final register of voters is scheduled for publication on December 15, 2026.
Reporting sources
- INEC and voter register crisis · Daily Trust
