The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) of Nigeria has removed over 1.6 million invalid entries from the national voters' register. This development comes as the commission prepares for the 2027 general elections. INEC identified 54 personnel across 10 states allegedly involved in registration irregularities. Those found culpable will face disciplinary action and possible prosecution. The commission harvested 11,088,238 registration records from the 2025/2026 Continuous Voter Registration (CVR) exercise.
INEC Chairman, Prof. Joash Amupitan, disclosed that the Automated Biometric Identification System (ABIS) initially flagged 1,545,052 records for further examination. Of these, 1,277,052 were confirmed invalid and excluded before publication of the Preliminary Register. Following complaints and objections, the commission subjected another 268,000 cases to adjudication, confirming 217,722 as invalid and removing them. An additional 113,886 invalid registrations were identified, bringing the total removed to 1,608,660.
The commission also removed 873 records belonging to verified deceased voters. Amupitan explained that the current national register has evolved through successive registration and continuous voter registration exercises since 2011. Significant historical integrity issues remain, despite previous cleansing exercises and biometric comparisons. The chairman disclosed that deliberate attempts to circumvent established registration procedures were uncovered, including the misuse of provisions for exceptional registration circumstances.
Amupitan warned that the exercise has yet to resolve all concerns surrounding the register, as many irregularities predate the latest registration exercise. Most complaints involve multiple registrations and suspicious photographs circulating on social media related to historical records captured between 2011 and 2023. The commission's decision to defer the proposed nationwide voter revalidation exercise until after the 2027 elections did not suspend existing mechanisms for identifying and removing invalid registrations.
On allegations of artificial intelligence-generated photographs compromising voter registration, Amupitan confirmed that INEC identified cases involving manipulated images and is introducing additional safeguards. The commission directed its Director of Information and Communication Technology to discontinue external webcam-based image uploads for voter registration. INEC also approved a comprehensive Artificial Intelligence Governance Framework to regulate the responsible deployment of the technology in its operations.
The preparations for the 2027 election petitions also featured a warning by Chief Justice of Nigeria (CJN), Justice Kudirat Kekere-Ekun, to lawyers against filing multiple suits on the same subject matter, seeking conflicting orders from courts of coordinate jurisdiction. This warning aims to ensure electoral justice and prevent practices that could undermine the integrity of the electoral process. The judiciary is preparing to handle disputes arising from the 2027 general elections, with 375 judges nominated for election petition tribunals.
INEC and the judiciary are urging media to uphold professional standards in their coverage of the electoral process. The commission said final reconciliation, quality assurance, and publication checks are ongoing ahead of the release of the Final Register on December 15, 2026. Existing safeguards, including the Bimodal Voter Accreditation System (BVAS), will prevent multiple accreditation and voting during the elections. Voters will be required to appear physically at their designated polling units for biometric authentication through fingerprints or facial recognition.
Key points
- INEC removed 1.6 million invalid voter records and identified 54 officials allegedly involved in registration irregularities.
- The commission is introducing additional safeguards against AI-generated photographs and manipulating voter registration.
- The judiciary is preparing to handle disputes arising from the 2027 general elections, with 375 judges nominated for election petition tribunals.
Reporting sources
- The Guardian · The Guardian
