Daud Olatunji
The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has removed 1,608,660 invalid registrants from the national voter register following a major clean-up exercise aimed at strengthening the credibility and integrity of Nigeria’s electoral database ahead of the 2027 general elections.
The commission also deleted 876 names of voters confirmed to have died, bringing the total number of records removed during the exercise to 1,609,536.
INEC disclosed that the exercise followed claims, objections and complaints received after the preliminary voters’ register was displayed nationwide in October.
The clean-up was designed to address irregularities identified in the preliminary register and ensure that only eligible voters remain on the commission’s database.
The removal of more than 1.6 million invalid registrations represents a significant development in efforts to sanitise the electoral register and prevent the use of questionable voter records in future elections.
The commission said it would publish the cleaned-up voters’ register on December 16, 2026, in compliance with the provisions of the Electoral Act.
The publication of the final register is expected to provide greater clarity on the number and status of eligible voters ahead of the 2027 general elections.
INEC’s latest action comes amid growing public scrutiny of the electoral process, particularly concerns about the accuracy of the voters’ register, multiple registrations and the credibility of elections.
The removal of the invalid records is expected to strengthen confidence in the electoral database, although the commission’s ability to sustain transparency, accountability and effective verification will remain crucial to public trust.
INEC has yet to provide further details on the categories of irregularities responsible for the 1,608,660 deletions or the geographical distribution of the affected registrations.
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