The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has removed 1,609,553 records from the national register of voters following a comprehensive clean-up of the 2025/2026 Continuous Voter Registration (CVR) exercise.
The Commission also identified 54 persons across 10 states for their alleged involvement in registration irregularities, warning that those found culpable would face disciplinary action and possible prosecution.
Read also: NAFDAC Engages Patent Medicine Dealers in Imo
INEC Chairman, Professor Joash Amupitan, disclosed this at a press conference on the display and publication of the Preliminary Register of Voters at the Commission’s headquarters in Abuja.
He explained that the affected records comprised 1,608,660 confirmed invalid registrations and 873 records belonging to verified deceased persons.
According to him, the Commission harvested 11,088,238 registration records during the three phases of the 2025/2026 CVR exercise, out of which the Automated Biometric Identification System (ABIS) initially flagged 1,545,052 for further examination.
Amupitan clarified that being flagged by the automated system did not automatically mean a registration was invalid, stressing that every case was subjected to authorised review and adjudication.
He said 1,277,052 registrations were initially confirmed invalid and excluded before the publication of the Preliminary Register.
Following complaints, claims and objections received during the display exercise, another 268,000 cases were subjected to adjudication, resulting in 217,722 additional invalid registrations being removed, while 50,278 were cleared and retained.
Further screening identified 113,886 additional invalid registrations, bringing the total removals from the current exercise to 1,609,553.
The INEC Chairman said the clean-up exercise had been concluded, adding that investigations into the circumstances surrounding the irregularities revealed deliberate violations of established registration procedures by some personnel.
He identified suspected multiple registrations, unusual registration patterns, substituted photographs and irregularities in registration transactions among the issues uncovered.
Amupitan disclosed that 54 persons across 10 states had been identified as complicit, assuring Nigerians that appropriate disciplinary measures, including possible prosecution, would be pursued.
He said the Commission was strengthening its registration procedures through enhanced biometric capture, authentication and verification safeguards to prevent a recurrence.
The development follows complaints raised by members of the public during the display of the Preliminary Register at ward level between October 9 and 15, 2026, as well as its subsequent online publication.
The complaints included allegedly manipulated photographs, duplicate registration attempts, unusual names and registration patterns, and the inclusion of deceased persons in the register.
Amupitan explained that the Commission waited for the expiration of the 14-day statutory period under Section 19(2) of the Electoral Act, 2026, before announcing the outcome of its review.
He said the Final Register of Voters would be published on December 15, 2026, after the completion of reconciliation, quality assurance and other publication checks.
However, the INEC Chairman warned that the current clean-up would not automatically address historical irregularities inherited from previous registration exercises between 2011 and 2023.
He said the Commission had consequently resolved to investigate and address obvious duplications in the old register through proper verification.
On complaints by voters who could no longer find their names at their current locations, Amupitan explained that some had registered afresh instead of transferring their existing registration, resulting in the automated system voiding their second registrations while retaining their original records at previous locations.
He advised affected voters to check their former registration locations.
Read also: Relief for Broadcasters as FG Halts Licence Fee Reviews
On Permanent Voter Cards (PVCs), the Chairman said distribution of cards from the first and second phases, including transferred PVCs, was ongoing at local government areas nationwide.
He added that cards from the third and final phase were being delivered and would be dispatched to states the following week, while distribution would return to Registration Areas from December 1, 2026.
Amupitan also assured Nigerians that the Bimodal Voter Accreditation System (BVAS) and established election procedures would prevent multiple voting during the 2027 general elections.
He stressed that voters must be physically present at their designated polling units and undergo biometric authentication through fingerprint or facial recognition before voting.
INEC Introduces New Safeguards Against AI Manipulation
In a related development, INEC has announced additional measures to prevent the manipulation of voter registration records through artificial intelligence and other digital technologies.
Amupitan disclosed that the Commission had directed its Information and Communication Technology Department to discontinue the use of web cameras for voter registration and adopt an application-based camera system.
He explained that the new arrangement would ensure that photographs were captured directly through the Commission’s approved application rather than imported from external sources.
The Chairman said the directive followed investigations into the use of AI-generated and manipulated photographs to compromise voter registration records.
He also announced that the Commission had approved a comprehensive Artificial Intelligence Governance Framework to guide the responsible deployment of AI in electoral processes.
According to him, the framework was developed in collaboration with the International Foundation for Electoral Systems (IFES) and the British High Commission, subjected to peer review and further strengthened through consideration of the ECOWAS protocol.
Amupitan said the framework would provide guidelines and safeguards for the appropriate use of artificial intelligence within the electoral system.
He further disclosed that INEC had reviewed its ICT infrastructure and cybersecurity arrangements as part of preparations for the 2027 general elections.
INEC Yet to Receive ADC Court Judgment
On the leadership dispute involving the African Democratic Congress (ADC), the INEC Chairman said the Commission was yet to receive the relevant court judgment and would not act on reports circulating on social media.
He explained that the Commission would first obtain and study the judgment, seek professional advice from relevant departments and present the matter for consideration before taking any decision.
Amupitan emphasised that INEC would be guided by the actual court processes rather than unverified information circulating online.
He also disclosed that security agencies were investigating allegations of double registration, while INEC personnel found culpable would face internal disciplinary action and possible referral to law enforcement agencies.
On early voting for journalists, electoral officials and other persons assigned election duties, the Chairman said INEC had proposed the arrangement during the amendment of the Electoral Act, but it did not receive the necessary legislative support.
Read also: Kano Assembly to Receive 2027 Budget November 11
He expressed hope that continued advocacy would eventually lead to its inclusion in the country’s electoral laws.
The INEC Chairman assured Nigerians that the Commission remained committed to protecting eligible voters from wrongful exclusion while ensuring that the national register of voters was credible ahead of the 2027 general elections.