INEC Removes Invalid Registrations From Voter Register Ahead of 2027 Elections – Amupitan
The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has completed an exercise to remove invalid registrations and address irregularities in the national voter register ahead of the 2027 general elections.
INEC Chairman, Prof. Joash Amupitan, disclosed this on Monday during a press briefing in Abuja.
He said the exercise followed complaints and objections raised by Nigerians after the commission displayed the preliminary voter register between October 9 and 15, 2026.
According to Amupitan, the complaints included suspected multiple registrations, manipulated photographs, unusual names and registration patterns, as well as the inclusion of deceased persons in the register.
He explained that the commission waited until the expiration of the 14-day statutory period for claims and objections before reviewing the complaints and taking corrective measures.
Amupitan said the exercise covered irregularities identified during the 2025 and 2026 Continuous Voter Registration (CVR) exercise.
He disclosed that INEC processed 11,088,238 registration records from the three phases of the exercise using its Automated Biometric Identification System (ABIS).
The system initially flagged 1,545,052 records for further examination, although he stressed that being flagged did not automatically make a registration invalid.
The INEC chairman said 1,277,052 registrations had already been confirmed invalid and removed before the preliminary register was displayed.
He added that following public complaints, another 268,000 cases were reviewed, with 217,722 declared invalid and removed, while 50,278 were confirmed valid and retained.
Amupitan further disclosed that subsequent screening identified an additional 113,886 invalid registrations, which were also removed.
He identified historical voter registration records dating back to 2011 as a major source of inconsistencies, noting that several complaints about multiple registrations originated from records accumulated between 2011 and 2023.
On the proposed nationwide voter revalidation exercise, the INEC chairman said the commission’s decision to postpone it until after the 2027 elections would not stop ongoing efforts to verify the voter register.
He said biometric screening, adjudication and statutory claims and objections would remain part of the commission’s procedures for maintaining the register.
Amupitan added that INEC had scheduled December 15, 2026, for the publication of the final national voter register.
