The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has announced the removal of 1,609,553 invalid and deceased records from the national voters register as part of efforts to sanitise the database ahead of the 2027 general elections.
The commission also explained the delay in producing Permanent Voter Cards (PVCs) for Nigerians who participated in the third phase of its Continuous Voter Registration (CVR) exercise, assuring them that the cards would soon be dispatched to states for distribution.
INEC Chairman, Prof. Joash Ojo Amupitan, disclosed this on Monday during a press conference in Abuja, where he provided updates on the ongoing clean-up of the voters register and preparations for the next general elections.
According to him, the records expunged comprise 1,608,660 confirmed invalid registrations and 873 verified deceased voters.
He said the commission was committed to addressing identified irregularities through evidence-based investigations, corrective measures and stronger safeguards against future manipulation.
“The commission recognises that the detection of irregularities raises legitimate questions about how they arose. The response is evidence-led investigation, completed corrective action and stronger preventive controls.
“1,609,553 records have been removed, comprising 1,608,660 confirmed invalid registrations and 873 verified deceased-voter records. INEC will continue to communicate verifiable aggregate outcomes while protecting personal information and the integrity of ongoing investigations,” Amupitan said.
On the delayed PVC production, the INEC chairman said distribution of cards from the first and second phases of the registration exercise, including transferred PVCs, was ongoing at local government area offices across the country.
He disclosed that some of the cards produced for the third and final phase were already being delivered and would be dispatched to states from next week.
Amupitan added that distribution would return to Registration Area Centres nationwide from December 1, 2026.
He appealed to those who registered during the third phase to exercise patience, explaining that the production process was being handled 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 would be dispatched to the states by next week.
“Meanwhile, as from December 1, 2026, distribution will go back to the Registration Areas all over Nigeria. We appeal to those that registered in the third phase to be a little bit patient since the production is done outside the country,” he said.
A total of 2,970,257 Nigerians registered during the third phase of the CVR exercise before the commission's de-duplication process.
The latest clean-up followed widespread public concerns over suspected irregularities discovered during the display of the preliminary voters register between October 9 and 15, 2026.
A technical audit conducted with the Automated Biometric Identification System (ABIS) reportedly exposed several anomalies, including unusual registration patterns, substituted photographs and fraudulent multiple registrations.
The investigation also uncovered alleged complicity by some INEC personnel. Amupitan said 54 staff members across 10 states were identified for deliberately circumventing established procedures and exploiting special registration provisions designed for vulnerable groups, including persons with disabilities.
He said disciplinary measures had been initiated against the affected personnel, while possible criminal prosecution was also being considered.
The commission further disclosed that irregularities in the voters register were not limited to the latest registration cycle, noting that inherited records from previous exercises conducted between 2011 and 2023 contained legacy duplications.
Amupitan said INEC's board had consequently directed that flagged records from previous registration cycles should be removed after appropriate verification.
On the political implications of ongoing court cases involving opposition actors, particularly the African Democratic Congress (ADC) and former Vice-President Atiku Abubakar, the INEC chairman said the commission would only act on duly authenticated court documents.
He specifically stated that INEC had yet to receive the Certified True Copy of the judgment relating to the ADC dispute, insisting that the commission would not base its decisions on information circulating on social media.
“On ADC/Atiku: as of today, we have not received the Certified True Copy of the court judgment and we don't act based on what we see on social media,” he said.
INEC also reassured Nigerians that measures to prevent electoral fraud during the 2027 elections remained in place.
It said voters would be required to appear physically for accreditation, while the Bimodal Voter Accreditation System (BVAS) would authenticate their identities through fingerprint or facial recognition technology.
The commission maintained that the safeguards were designed to prevent multiple voting and unauthorised accreditation, while strengthening public confidence in the credibility of the electoral process.
Leave a Reply