The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has announced plans to commence a nationwide voter register revalidation exercise on April 13, 2026, as part of preparations for the 2027 general election.

In a directive signed by Rose Oriaran-Anthony, secretary to the commission, resident electoral commissioners (RECs) across the country have been instructed to begin necessary preparations, including mobilising personnel and readying INEC Voter Enrolment Devices (IVED).

According to the outlined schedule, the exercise will start at the local government area (LGA) level from April 13 to May 2. It will then move to the registration area (RA) level from May 5 to May 11, before proceeding to polling units (PUs) from May 13 to May 19. A second phase at the LGA level will follow from May 20 to May 29.

Ahead of the rollout, INEC held a training-of-trainers workshop on March 30 at The Electoral Institute (TEI) to equip officials for the exercise.

Kunle Ajayi, chairman of TEI’s board, stressed the importance of maintaining a credible voter register, noting that the integrity of elections depends heavily on it. He urged participants, drawn from TEI master trainers and staff of the voter registry and ICT departments, to remain committed to the success of the exercise.

INEC Chairman, Prof. Joash Amupitan, had earlier explained that the revalidation is aimed at addressing longstanding issues in the voter register, including duplicate and underage registrations, entries by non-citizens, records of deceased persons, and other inaccuracies that undermine public trust.

He noted that although the voter register—first compiled ahead of the 2011 general election—has been continuously updated for subsequent elections, periodic reviews are necessary to ensure its credibility.

“As of the 2023 general election, the register stood at over 93 million voters, but existing anomalies continue to raise valid concerns,” he said, adding that a reliable voter register remains essential for free, fair, and transparent elections.