INEC Removes 1.6m Invalid Registrations From Voters’ Register Ahead of 2027 Elections
The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has removed 1,608,660 invalid registrations from Nigeria’s preliminary register of voters following a nationwide clean-up exercise ahead of the 2027 general elections.
The commission also removed 873 records belonging to verified deceased voters as a separate category, bringing the total number of records removed under the two categories to 1,609,533.
INEC Chairman, Professor Joash Amupitan, SAN, disclosed this on Monday, November 9, 2026, while briefing journalists in Abuja on the outcome of the review of the preliminary voters’ register.
Amupitan said the exercise followed complaints, claims and objections raised by Nigerians after the commission displayed the preliminary register at ward level between October 9 and 15, 2026.
He explained that INEC received 11,088,238 registration records from the three phases of the 2025/2026 Continuous Voter Registration (CVR) exercise.
According to him, the commission’s Automated Biometric Identification System (ABIS) initially flagged 1,545,052 records for further examination, stressing that being flagged did not automatically mean a registration was invalid.
The chairman disclosed that 1,277,052 registrations had already been confirmed invalid and excluded before the publication of the preliminary register.
He said that following the public display, another 268,000 cases were subjected to adjudication, with 217,722 confirmed invalid and removed, while 50,278 were cleared as valid and retained.
Amupitan added that subsequent screening identified an additional 113,886 invalid registrations, bringing the total number of confirmed invalid registrations removed to 1,608,660.
He said the commission had concluded the clean-up exercise relating to the 2025/2026 CVR, while final reconciliation, quality assurance and publication checks were ongoing ahead of the release of the final register.
The INEC chairman also disclosed that 54 registration personnel across 10 states had been identified for alleged involvement in registration irregularities.
He said the affected officials would face appropriate disciplinary measures, including possible prosecution, where investigations establish culpability.
Amupitan noted that the review uncovered irregularities involving multiple registrations, manipulated photographs and attempts to circumvent established registration procedures.
He said the commission was strengthening its registration safeguards, including measures to prevent the unauthorised use of external webcam-based image uploads.
The chairman further assured Nigerians that biometric accreditation through the Bimodal Voter Accreditation System (BVAS) would remain a critical safeguard during the 2027 elections.
He explained that voters would be required to appear physically at their designated polling units for accreditation through fingerprint or facial recognition to prevent multiple accreditation and voting.
INEC said the final register of voters is scheduled for publication on December 15, 2026, following the completion of the remaining verification and quality assurance processes.