2027: INEC deletes 1.6m voter records, probes 54 officials

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The Independent National Electoral Commission said it has removed a total of 1,609,553 records from the preliminary voters’ register.

This followed a nationwide clean-up which uncovered more than 1.6 million invalid registrations and 873 verified deceased voters ahead of the 2027 general elections.

The commission also disclosed that 54 persons across 10 states had been identified as complicit in the registration irregularities, warning that those involved would face disciplinary measures, including possible prosecution.

INEC Chairman, Prof Joash Amupitan (SAN), disclosed this on Monday during a press conference held in Abuja on the display and publication of the preliminary voters’ register.

He said the clean-up followed complaints, claims and objections received from members of the public after the register was displayed between October 9 and 15, 2026.

According to him, the commission removed 1,608,660 confirmed invalid registrations from the 2025/2026 Continuous Voter Registration exercise, while 873 records belonging to verified deceased persons were separately expunged, bringing the combined number of removed records to 1,609,553.

Amupitan said the exercise had been concluded, with final reconciliation, quality assurance and publication checks ongoing ahead of the release of the final register on December 15, 2026.

He said, “The commission confirms that the current register-cleaning exercise for the 2025/2026 Continuous Voters Registration (CVR) has been concluded. All 1,608,660 confirmed invalid registrations have been removed.

“In addition, 873 records belonging to verified deceased persons have also been removed as a separate category. The combined total of records removed under these two categories is 1,609,553.”

The development represents one of the commission’s most extensive voter register clean-up exercises in recent years and comes amid growing concerns over the credibility of the electoral register ahead of the 2027 elections.

The chairman explained that the irregularities became a major issue following the publication of the preliminary register, which attracted public complaints over suspected duplicate registrations, artificial or manipulated photographs, unusual names and registration patterns, as well as the continued appearance of deceased persons on the register.

He said some members of the public had alleged that the irregularities were deliberately introduced to compromise the 2027 elections.

However, the commission decided to wait until the expiration of the 14-day statutory period for complaints before presenting its findings and responding to the allegations.

Amupitan said, “The display and online publication of the 2026 preliminary register brought additional public attention, comments and criticisms to apparently artificial or manipulated photographs, duplicate registration attempts, unusual names and registration patterns and reports of deceased persons remaining on the register.

“Some even alleged that those irregularities were intentional, aimed at compromising the 2027 election.”

He said the commission had considered the complaints within the provisions of Section 19(2) of the Electoral Act, 2026, which requires INEC to accept and consider objections, claims and complaints against the preliminary register within 14 days of its display.

Under the provision, the commission is expected to investigate the complaints, make necessary corrections and ensure that the register is cleaned up before publication of the final voters’ list.

Giving a breakdown of the exercise, Amupitan said the commission harvested 11,088,238 registration records from the three phases of the 2025/2026 CVR exercise.

He explained that the records were subjected to screening through the Automated Biometric Identification System, which initially flagged 1,545,052 registrations for further examination.

The chairman, however, cautioned that being flagged by the automated system did not automatically mean that a registration was invalid, stressing that the technology was designed to identify records requiring further investigation, while authorised officials determined their final status.

He said, “A flagged record is not necessarily an invalid registration: automated screening identifies matters requiring review, while authorised adjudication determines the outcome.”

According to him, before the publication of the preliminary register, 1,277,052 registrations had been confirmed invalid and excluded from the 1,545,052 records flagged for examination.

Following the display of the preliminary register and the receipt of public complaints, the commission subjected another 268,000 cases to adjudication.

Of this number, 217,722 registrations were confirmed invalid and removed, while 50,278 were cleared as valid and retained in the register.

The commission subsequently conducted additional screening, which identified another 113,886 invalid registrations that were also removed.

The chairman said the cumulative number of invalid registrations removed after the public objections and subsequent screening stood at 331,608, in addition to the 873 deceased voters’ records.

He explained that these removals were in addition to the 1,277,052 invalid registrations identified and excluded before the preliminary register was published.

This brought the total number of confirmed invalid registrations removed during the exercise to 1,608,660, while the separate removal of 873 deceased persons’ records raised the overall figure to 1,609,553.

Beyond the removal of the irregular records, INEC disclosed that its investigation had uncovered deliberate breaches of registration procedures by some personnel involved in the voter registration exercise.

Amupitan said the technical assessment examined suspected multiple registrations, unusual registration patterns, substituted photographs and irregularities associated with registration transactions.

He said the commission discovered instances in which some registration personnel deliberately circumvented established procedures and abused provisions designed to accommodate exceptional registration circumstances, including those involving persons with disabilities.

According to him, the affected records had been identified and subjected to appropriate review and remediation, while the personnel connected with the infractions had been identified for administrative investigation.

The chairman disclosed that 54 persons across 10 states had been identified as being involved in the irregularities.

He said, “Fifty-four persons across 10 states have been identified as complicit and necessary disciplinary action will be taken against them, including possible prosecution.”

Amupitan said INEC was strengthening its registration procedures through improved biometric capture, authentication and verification safeguards to prevent a recurrence.

He added that the commission considered the number of affected records significant enough to warrant a thorough examination of how the irregularities occurred and those responsible.

Historical duplications remain a major concern.

Despite the removal of more than 1.6 million records, INEC warned that the clean-up of the 2025/2026 registration exercise alone would not resolve all the integrity concerns surrounding the national voters’ register.

The chairman disclosed that a significant number of the duplicate names and photographs circulated on social media related to registrations conducted between 2011 and 2023.

He said the current national register had evolved through successive registration and CVR exercises since 2011, using different generations of technology, operational arrangements and data quality standards.

Although the register had undergone cleansing and biometric comparisons at different times, he said significant historical integrity issues remained and required a systematic national response.

Amupitan explained that even after the removal of the 331,608 irregularities identified following the display of the 2025/2026 preliminary register, the final voters’ list could still contain duplications inherited from the earlier registration exercises.

He said, “Cleaning the register of only the 2025/2026 Continuous Voter Registration (CVR) exercise alone will not solve the problem identified.

“Even with the removal of 331,608 who were found to be irregular in the Preliminary Voter Register for 2025/2026 displayed and published, the final list will still carry over the duplications of 2011-2023.”

He noted that most of the duplication complaints and photographs circulated on social media concerned the old register rather than the latest registration exercise.

According to the chairman, INEC directed that records already flagged through public complaints, as well as obvious cases identified on the register, should be removed after proper verification.

Addressing complaints made by some Nigerians who said that their names had disappeared from the preliminary register, Amupitan said investigations into the complaints revealed that most of the affected voters had registered between 2011 and 2023.

According to him, some of the voters had relocated from their original registration locations but failed to transfer their voter registration to their new places of residence.

Instead, they registered afresh at their new locations.

Amupitan explained that the Automated Biometric Identification System identified and voided the second registrations because the individuals already had existing records in the national register.

He added that their original registrations, however, remained valid at their previous locations, meaning that they had not necessarily been deleted from the register.

He advised the affected voters to verify their registration details and check their former polling locations where necessary.

Amupitan recalled how INEC had announced plans in February 2026 to conduct a nationwide voter revalidation exercise as part of efforts to improve the accuracy and reliability of the national register.

He said the proposed exercise was designed to address inconsistencies in historical records, particularly those captured using older registration technologies.

He added that it was also expected to provide an opportunity for voters to update their biometric information, resolve outstanding registration discrepancies and improve the accreditation process on election day.

Amupitan, however, said the commission deferred the exercise following concerns raised by stakeholders over its proximity to the 2027 general elections and the possibility that it could affect the participation of eligible voters.

He stressed that the postponement did not mean that the commission had suspended its existing mechanisms for protecting the integrity of the register.

According to him, biometric screening, adjudication, statutory claims and objections, as well as other established verification procedures, remained in place.

He said the commission would continue to use those mechanisms to identify and correct irregularities ahead of the publication of the final register.

On the distribution of PVCs, Amupitan said the exercise for the first and second phases of the CVR, including transferred PVCs, was ongoing across local government areas in the country.

He disclosed that some PVCs produced for the third and final phase were being delivered and would be dispatched to the states starting the following week.

The chairman said distribution would return to the registration areas nationwide from December 1, 2026.

He appealed to voters who participated in the third phase of the registration exercise to exercise patience, explaining that the production of the cards was being undertaken outside Nigeria.

“The distribution of Phases 1 and 2 of the PVC and transferred PVCs is ongoing at the various LGAs in Nigeria. Some of the PVCs for the third and final Phase are being delivered, and they will be dispatched to the states by next week.

“Meanwhile, as from 1st December 2026, distribution will go back to the Registration Areas all over Nigeria,” he said.

He added that the commission was committed to ensuring that eligible voters received their cards in time for the elections.

Addressing concerns about the possibility of multiple registrations translating into multiple voting during the 2027 elections, Amupitan said the commission had additional safeguards to prevent electoral fraud on election day.

He explained that the Standard Operating Procedures for presiding officers, together with the Bimodal Voter Accreditation System, required voters to be physically present at their designated polling units for biometric authentication.

According to him, the BVAS verifies voters’ identities against the register using either fingerprints or facial recognition and records successful accreditation.

He said the system had controls designed to prevent the same voter from being accredited more than once.

The chairman added that the procedures for issuing ballot papers provided another layer of protection against multiple voting.

He said, “The Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) for Presiding Officers, together with the Bimodal Voter Accreditation System (BVAS), require every voter to be physically present at their designated Polling Unit and undergo biometric authentication using either fingerprints or facial recognition.

“The accreditation process verifies the voter’s identity against the register and records successful accreditation, with controls designed to prevent the same voter from being accredited more than once.”

Speaking further, Amupitan maintained that the commission’s objective was not only to remove invalid registrations but also to ensure that eligible Nigerians were not wrongly excluded from exercising their constitutional right to vote.

He said complaints from members of the public, documented claims and objections, and reports submitted by state offices had provided important evidence for the review.

The chairman said the commission was committed to communicating verifiable aggregate results while protecting the personal information of voters and the integrity of ongoing investigations.

He acknowledged that the discovery of irregularities raised legitimate questions about how they occurred but insisted that INEC’s response would be based on evidence, corrective action and stronger preventive measures.

He said, “The commission remains committed both to removing confirmed invalid entries and to protecting eligible Nigerians from wrongful exclusion.

“Public observations, documented claims and objections and verified State Office submissions are important inputs to this process. The results presented today reflect the evidence examined and the corrective action recorded.”

He added that the commission had concluded the current clean-up exercise and would ensure that all approved changes were accurately reflected in the final register scheduled for publication on December 15.

“The response is evidence-led investigation, completed corrective action and stronger preventive controls,” he said.

Deborah Musa is a journalist at Punch Newspapers with five years of experience in journalism, including three years covering the judiciary. She focuses on producing accurate, well-researched reports that provide clarity on legal and justice-related issues. Deborah’s work reflects hands-on newsroom experience and editorial diligence.

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