INEC Removes 1.6 Million Invalid Voter Records, Identifies 54 Officials

By Sabiu Abdullahi

The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) says it has removed 1,609,553 records from the preliminary voters’ register following a nationwide screening exercise ahead of the 2027 general elections.

The commission also disclosed that 54 individuals across 10 states had been identified for their alleged involvement in irregularities linked to voter registration. It warned that those found responsible would face disciplinary action, including possible prosecution.

INEC Chairman, Prof. Joash Amupitan, announced the findings on Monday during a press conference in Abuja on the review of the preliminary voters’ register.

He explained that the commission removed 1,608,660 confirmed invalid registrations from the 2025/2026 Continuous Voter Registration exercise. An additional 873 records belonging to verified deceased persons were also expunged.

Amupitan said the review followed complaints and objections submitted by members of the public after the preliminary register was displayed between October 9 and 15, 2026.

He said, “The commission confirms that the current register-cleaning exercise for the 2025/2026 Continuous Voters Registration (CVR) has been concluded. All 1,608,660 confirmed invalid registrations have been removed.

“In addition, 873 records belonging to verified deceased persons have also been removed as a separate category. The combined total of records removed under these two categories is 1,609,553.”

According to the chairman, the exercise uncovered suspected duplicate registrations, manipulated photographs, unusual names and registration patterns, as well as records of deceased persons.

INEC initially harvested 11,088,238 registration records from the three phases of the 2025/2026 CVR exercise. Its Automated Biometric Identification System flagged 1,545,052 records for further examination.

However, Amupitan cautioned that a record flagged by the system was not automatically invalid, as each case required further assessment by authorised officials.

He said, “A flagged record is not necessarily an invalid registration: automated screening identifies matters requiring review, while authorised adjudication determines the outcome.”

Before the preliminary register was published, the commission had confirmed and excluded 1,277,052 invalid registrations.

Following public complaints, another 268,000 cases were examined. Of these, 217,722 were found to be invalid and removed, while 50,278 were cleared and retained.

Further screening identified an additional 113,886 invalid registrations, bringing the total number of invalid records removed during the exercise to 1,608,660.

54 Officials Face Investigation

Beyond removing the affected records, INEC said its investigations uncovered deliberate violations of registration procedures by some personnel.

Amupitan explained that the technical assessment examined suspected multiple registrations, unusual registration patterns, substituted photographs and irregularities in registration transactions.

He said some personnel deliberately bypassed established procedures and abused provisions designed to accommodate exceptional circumstances, including registration arrangements for persons with disabilities.

The commission identified 54 individuals across 10 states in connection with the irregularities.

Amupitan said, “Fifty-four persons across 10 states have been identified as complicit and necessary disciplinary action will be taken against them, including possible prosecution.”

He added that INEC was strengthening its registration processes through improved biometric capture, authentication and verification measures.

Historical Duplications Remain a Concern

The commission warned that the latest clean-up would not resolve all integrity concerns surrounding the national voters’ register, particularly duplicate records inherited from previous registration exercises between 2011 and 2023.

Amupitan said some of the names and photographs circulated on social media as evidence of irregularities related to older registration records rather than the 2025/2026 exercise.

He explained that the national register had evolved through successive registration exercises that used different technologies and operational procedures.

He said, “Cleaning the register of only the 2025/2026 Continuous Voter Registration (CVR) exercise alone will not solve the problem identified.

“Even with the removal of 331,608 who were found to be irregular in the Preliminary Voter Register for 2025/2026 displayed and published, the final list will still carry over the duplications of 2011-2023.”

The chairman also addressed complaints from voters who claimed that their names had disappeared from the preliminary register.

He said investigations showed that many of those affected had registered between 2011 and 2023 before relocating and registering afresh at their new places of residence without formally transferring their original registrations.

According to him, the biometric system identified the newer registrations as duplicates and voided them, while the original records remained valid at the voters’ former registration locations.

He advised affected voters to verify their details and check their previous polling units where necessary.

INEC had earlier proposed a nationwide voter revalidation exercise to address inconsistencies in historical records. However, the commission postponed the plan following concerns from stakeholders about its proximity to the 2027 elections and the possibility of disenfranchising eligible voters.

Amupitan maintained that the postponement did not affect the commission’s existing mechanisms for identifying and correcting irregularities.

PVC Distribution To Continue

The INEC chairman also provided an update on the distribution of Permanent Voter Cards (PVCs).

He said distribution of cards from the first and second phases of the CVR exercise, including transferred PVCs, was ongoing at local government area offices nationwide.

He added that cards produced for the third and final phase were being delivered and would be dispatched to states the following week.

According to him, distribution would return to registration areas across the country from December 1, 2026.

He said, “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 will be dispatched to the states by next week.

“Meanwhile, as from 1st December 2026, distribution will go back to the Registration Areas all over Nigeria,” he said.

Amupitan appealed to voters who participated in the third phase to remain patient, noting that the cards were being produced outside Nigeria.

He further assured Nigerians that the Bimodal Voter Accreditation System (BVAS) and established election procedures would prevent multiple voting.

He explained that voters must appear physically at their designated polling units for biometric verification through fingerprints or facial recognition. The system also has controls to prevent a voter from being accredited more than once.

The chairman said INEC had concluded the current clean-up exercise and was conducting final reconciliation, quality assurance and publication checks ahead of the release of the final voters’ register on December 15, 2026.

He stressed that the commission’s responsibility included removing invalid records while ensuring that eligible Nigerians were not wrongly excluded from exercising their right to vote.