The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has removed 1,609,553 invalid records from Nigeria’s national voters’ register following a comprehensive clean-up of the 2025/2026 Continuous Voter Registration (CVR) exercise. The commission also identified 54 personnel across 10 states allegedly involved in registration irregularities, warning that those found culpable would face disciplinary action and possible prosecution.
Related: How AI-Generated Images Entered INEC Voter Register
Key Highlights
- INEC removed 1,609,553 records, comprising 1,608,660 invalid registrations and 873 records belonging to deceased persons.
- 54 personnel across 10 states were identified as allegedly complicit in registration irregularities.
- The commission harvested 11,088,238 registration records during the 2025/2026 CVR exercise.
- Its biometric screening system initially flagged 1,545,052 records for further examination.
- INEC has promised stronger biometric verification and registration safeguards ahead of the 2027 general elections.
INEC disclosed the development in a statement published on its official X handle on Tuesday, November 10, 2026, following a press conference addressed by its chairman, Professor Joash Amupitan, SAN, at the commission’s headquarters on Monday, November 9.
Amupitan explained that the removed records comprised 1,608,660 confirmed invalid registrations and 873 records belonging to deceased persons.
How INEC Cleaned Up the Voters’ Register
According to him, the commission harvested 11,088,238 registration records from the three phases of the 2025/2026 CVR exercise. Its Automated Biometric Identification System (ABIS) initially flagged 1,545,052 records for further examination.
He clarified, however, that records flagged by the automated system were not automatically classified as invalid, stressing that each questionable registration had to undergo an authorised review and adjudication process before removal.
Before the publication of the Preliminary Register of Voters, INEC had confirmed and excluded 1,277,052 invalid registrations.
The commission subsequently received claims, objections and complaints during the display of the preliminary register, prompting a review of an additional 268,000 cases.
Of the cases examined, 217,722 registrations were confirmed invalid and removed, while 50,278 were cleared and retained in the register.
Further screening also uncovered 113,886 additional invalid registrations, bringing the total number of post-display removals to 331,608.
54 Staff in 10 States Face Disciplinary Action
Amupitan said the commission had concluded the clean-up exercise, adding that the scale of the irregularities made it necessary to investigate how they occurred and identify those responsible.
He disclosed that INEC’s technical assessment examined suspected multiple registrations, unusual registration patterns, substituted photographs and irregularities in registration transactions.
The investigation reportedly uncovered instances in which some registration personnel deliberately bypassed established procedures and abused provisions designed to accommodate exceptional registration circumstances, including facilities for persons with disabilities.
The INEC chairman said the affected records had been identified, reviewed and subjected to the necessary corrective measures.
He further disclosed that 54 persons across 10 states had been identified as allegedly complicit in the irregularities. They are expected to face administrative investigations and appropriate disciplinary measures, including possible prosecution where necessary.
The commission also announced plans to strengthen its registration procedures through improved biometric capture, authentication and verification safeguards to prevent similar incidents in future exercises.
Read also:
- BREAKING: Nigeria’s Voter Register Hits 103 Million as INEC Sets October 9 for PVC Collection
- INEC Warns Parties Over 2027 Candidates Not on Submitted Register as Voter Register Tops 103 Million
- INEC Urges Enugu Residents To Take Advantage Of Claims/Objections, PVC Collection Windows
- INEC Ad Hoc Staff Recruitment 2027: Seven Days Left as Application Portal Closes November 18
Public Complaints Over Preliminary Register
The development follows complaints and objections submitted by members of the public during the display of the Preliminary Register of Voters at the ward level between October 9 and 15, 2026, as well as its subsequent online publication.
Some of the complaints concerned allegedly manipulated photographs, duplicate registration attempts, unusual names and registration patterns, and deceased persons whose details remained on the voters’ register.
The reported irregularities had generated concerns among members of the public, with some alleging that questionable registrations could form part of attempts to compromise the credibility of the 2027 general elections.
INEC’s latest action comes as the commission intensifies efforts to sanitise Nigeria’s national voters’ register and strengthen confidence in the country’s electoral process ahead of the 2027 general elections.
The commission’s ability to enforce accountability, address identified loopholes and prevent further registration irregularities will remain important to ensuring the integrity of the next general elections.
For more updates on the 2027 elections, follow us on X.
