The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has removed 1,609,553 records from the preliminary voters’ register following a nationwide clean-up ahead of the 2027 general elections.
The commission also disclosed that 54 persons across 10 states had been identified for allegedly participating in registration irregularities, warning that those involved would face disciplinary action, including possible prosecution.
INEC Chairman, Prof. Joash Amupitan (SAN), disclosed this on Monday during a press conference in Abuja on the display and publication of the preliminary voters’ register.
He said the exercise followed complaints, claims and objections submitted by members of the public after the preliminary register was displayed between October 9 and 15, 2026.
According to Amupitan, 1,608,660 confirmed invalid registrations from the 2025/2026 Continuous Voter Registration exercise were removed, alongside 873 records belonging to verified deceased persons.
He explained that the commission initially harvested 11,088,238 registration records from the three phases of the exercise, which were subsequently subjected to biometric screening using the Automated Biometric Identification System.
The system flagged 1,545,052 records for further examination, although the chairman stressed that being flagged did not automatically mean a registration was invalid.
Before the preliminary register was published, 1,277,052 registrations had been confirmed invalid and excluded.
Following public complaints, INEC reviewed an additional 268,000 cases, removing 217,722 registrations found to be invalid while retaining 50,278 considered legitimate.
Further screening identified another 113,886 invalid registrations, bringing the total number of invalid registrations removed to 1,608,660.
Amupitan said the complaints centred on suspected duplicate registrations, manipulated photographs, unusual names and registration patterns, as well as deceased persons whose records remained on the register.
He noted that some Nigerians had alleged that the irregularities were deliberately introduced to compromise the 2027 elections.
The chairman, however, said INEC waited for the expiration of the statutory 14-day period for claims and objections before concluding its investigations.
54 officials face investigation
Amupitan disclosed that the commission’s technical assessment uncovered deliberate violations of registration procedures by some personnel involved in the exercise.
He said some officials circumvented established procedures and abused provisions designed to accommodate exceptional registration circumstances, including those involving persons with disabilities.
He added that 54 persons across 10 states had been identified as complicit in the irregularities and would face appropriate administrative and disciplinary measures, including possible prosecution.
The INEC chairman said the commission was strengthening its registration procedures through improved biometric capture, authentication and verification safeguards to prevent a recurrence.
Old voter records remain a concern
Despite the latest clean-up, Amupitan warned that removing irregularities from the 2025/2026 registration exercise would not completely resolve longstanding integrity concerns surrounding the national voters’ register.
He explained that many of the duplicate names and photographs circulating on social media related to registrations conducted between 2011 and 2023.
According to him, the national register has evolved through successive registration exercises involving different generations of technology and operational standards, leaving historical inconsistencies that require a broader response.
He said INEC had earlier considered a nationwide voter revalidation exercise in February 2026 to address discrepancies in historical records but deferred it following concerns about its proximity to the 2027 elections and the possibility of disenfranchising eligible voters.
Amupitan also clarified complaints by some Nigerians who discovered that their names were missing from the preliminary register.
He said investigations showed that many had registered between 2011 and 2023 but subsequently registered afresh after relocating without formally transferring their previous registrations.
The biometric system identified the new registrations as duplicates and voided them, while their original registrations remained valid at their former polling locations.
He advised affected voters to verify their registration details and check their previous polling units where necessary.
PVC distribution continues
On Permanent Voter Cards, Amupitan said distribution for the first and second phases of the CVR exercise, including transferred cards, was ongoing at local government areas nationwide.
He disclosed that some PVCs produced for the third and final phase were being delivered and would be dispatched to states from the following week.
He added that distribution would return to registration areas nationwide from December 1, 2026.
The chairman appealed to voters who participated in the final phase to exercise patience, explaining that the production of their cards was being undertaken outside Nigeria.
Amupitan also assured Nigerians that the Bimodal Voter Accreditation System (BVAS) and INEC’s operating procedures would prevent multiple voting during the elections.
He explained that voters must be physically present at their designated polling units for biometric authentication through fingerprints or facial recognition, with safeguards against multiple accreditation.
He said the commission had concluded the current register-cleaning exercise, while final reconciliation, quality assurance and publication checks were ongoing ahead of the release of the final voters’ register on December 15, 2026.
He reiterated that INEC’s objective was not only to remove invalid records but also to ensure that eligible Nigerians were not wrongly excluded from exercising their constitutional right to vote.