The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) in Nigeria is investigating some registration officials over suspected false voter records. This comes as the commission reviews entries on the preliminary register ahead of the 2027 general elections. INEC's Director of Information and Communication Technology, Lawrence Bayode, disclosed that some officials used their access to enter questionable profiles, including records with manipulated photographs and biometric details.
According to Bayode, INEC has withdrawn the officials' access to the registration system while compiling evidence for a report to the commission. The commission will consider the findings and decide on the next action. Bayode revealed this during an interview on Channels Television on Sunday, 1 November. He described the scale of the problem as "bad" and "horrible," having seen the questionable profiles created by the officials.
The controversy arose after INEC placed its preliminary register online on 26 October, allowing members of the public to identify questionable entries. Some of these entries included apparent duplicate records, names of deceased people, and photographs suspected to have been generated by artificial intelligence. INEC had displayed the same preliminary register physically at registration areas from 9 to 15 October.
Bayode explained that the Automated Biometric Identification System (ABIS) flagged about 1.5 million records as suspicious during the 2026 Continuous Voter Registration exercise. He stated that 1,277,252 entries had been confirmed invalid and removed before the preliminary register was released, while approximately 268,000 required further checks. A flagged record is not necessarily fraudulent, as each one must be examined before INEC decides whether to remove it.
Some questionable profiles contained pictures generated with artificial intelligence or images taken from calendars. In other instances, the same photograph appeared on several registrations. Bayode alleged that some officials also misused a special registration option intended to accommodate people with disabilities. The provision allows eligible people with missing fingers to register, but Bayode claimed that some officials used this option for others.
The Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project has called for an independent investigation by the Nigeria Data Protection Commission. The organisation asked the regulator to establish whether personal data had been unlawfully accessed or altered and to help ensure affected voters could correct their records without unfair exclusion. Bayode maintained that the Bimodal Voter Accreditation System would provide a further identity check at polling units.
INEC aims to certify the final register on 15 December. The commission is balancing further checks against the deadline for displaying the register. Bayode said biometric screening took longer than anticipated, and INEC needs to verify suspicious entries carefully to avoid removing eligible voters. The Electoral Act 2026 provides for a seven-day display of the register and requires INEC to accept and consider objections and complaints within the period set out in the law.
Key points
- INEC investigates staff over suspected false voter records ahead of 2027 general elections
- Over 1.5 million records flagged as suspicious during 2026 Continuous Voter Registration exercise
- INEC aims to certify final register on 15 December
