The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has deleted
1,609,533 records from the national voters’ register after uncovering widespread irregularities, including multiple registrations, manipulated photographs and entries belonging to deceased persons.
The commission also disclosed that 54 officials spread across 10 states had been identified for allegedly compromising the voter registration process and would face disciplinary action, including possible prosecution.
INEC Chairman, Prof. Joash Amupitan, made the revelations while briefing journalists on the outcome of the review of the Preliminary Register of Voters ahead of the 2027 general elections.
He said the deleted records comprised 1,608,660 confirmed invalid registrations and 873 entries belonging to verified dead voters.
Amupitan described the findings as evidence of serious weaknesses in the registration process, adding that the commission had identified personnel allegedly involved in attempts to circumvent established procedures.
According to him, some officials deliberately abused provisions designed to accommodate exceptional registration circumstances, particularly those involving persons with disabilities.
He said the commission had identified 54 suspects across 10 states and would subject them to administrative investigations, with those found culpable facing possible prosecution.
The INEC chairman explained that the clean-up followed a review of 11,088,238 registration records generated during the three phases of the Continuous Voter Registration exercise.
The commission’s Automated Biometric Identification System (ABIS) initially flagged 1,545,052 records for further examination.
Of this number, 1,277,052 registrations were confirmed invalid and removed before the publication of the Preliminary Register.
A subsequent screening uncovered another 331,608 invalid registrations, bringing the total number of questionable entries removed to 1,608,660.
The 873 records of deceased voters were deleted separately.
Amupitan said the exercise was necessary to address longstanding problems with the national register, which has accumulated records from different registration exercises and technological systems since 2011.
He noted that the review was conducted in accordance with Section 19(2) of the Electoral Act, 2026, which provides a 14-day window for Nigerians to raise objections, complaints and claims concerning the Preliminary Register.
INEC is expected to complete the necessary corrections before publishing the Final Register of Voters on December 15, 2026.
INEC MOVES AGAINST AI-GENERATED PHOTOS
The commission also raised the alarm over the use of manipulated and artificial intelligence-generated photographs to compromise voter registration.
Amupitan confirmed that cases involving suspicious images had been identified and announced fresh measures to prevent a recurrence.
He disclosed that INEC had directed its Director of Information and Communication Technology to discontinue the use of external webcam-based image uploads during voter registration.
Under the new directive, photographs must be captured through an approved application to strengthen verification and prevent the uploading of manipulated images.
The chairman warned that compromised passwords and unauthorised access could create opportunities for technological manipulation.
He also announced that INEC had approved a comprehensive Artificial Intelligence Governance Framework to regulate the use of AI in its operations.
The framework, developed with contributions from partners including the Institute for Security Studies and the British High Commission, has undergone peer review.
Amupitan added that security agencies were conducting independent investigations into the irregularities and that cases involving criminal conduct would be forwarded for prosecution.
VOTERS WITH MISSING NAMES GET EXPLANATION
The INEC boss also addressed complaints by voters who could no longer find their names at their current polling locations.
He explained that some affected voters had registered afresh after relocating instead of following the prescribed procedure for transferring their existing registrations.
According to him, the biometric system detected their subsequent registrations as duplicates and invalidated them, while their original records remained at their former polling units.
He advised such voters to check their previous registration locations rather than conclude that their names had been completely deleted.
Amupitan, however, cautioned that the latest clean-up had not completely resolved all integrity concerns surrounding the national register.
He said many complaints about multiple registrations and suspicious photographs circulating on social media involved historical records captured between 2011 and 2023, rather than the latest registration exercise.
He explained that although INEC had postponed its proposed nationwide voter revalidation exercise until after the 2027 elections, it had not abandoned efforts to sanitise the register.
The commission had resolved to remove outstanding duplicate entries already exposed through public complaints and its internal screening, subject to proper verification.
INEC ASSURES NIGERIANS OVER 2027 POLLS
Despite the revelations, Amupitan assured Nigerians that the commission had measures to prevent multiple accreditation and voting during the 2027 elections.
He cited the Bimodal Voter Accreditation System (BVAS), which requires voters to appear physically at their designated polling units for biometric verification through fingerprints or facial recognition.
He said the technology would help establish voters’ identities against the register and prevent multiple accreditation.
The chairman maintained that the ongoing review and public complaints process would help eliminate questionable entries while protecting eligible Nigerians from wrongful exclusion.
He reiterated the commission’s determination to deliver credible elections in 2027 through improved technology, stronger cybersecurity and stricter monitoring of personnel involved in electoral activities.
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