By Matthew Otabe
The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has announced the removal of more than 1.6 million invalid voter registration records from the preliminary national register ahead of the 2027 general elections.
The Commission also disclosed that it had received a court judgment relating to former Vice-President Atiku Abubakar, which is currently awaiting examination by its legal and relevant technical departments before any decision would be taken.
INEC Chairman, Prof. Joash Amupitan, disclosed this on Monday, November 9, 2026, during a media briefing on the outcome of the Commission’s review of complaints, claims and objections arising from the display of the 2026 preliminary register of voters.
Amupitan explained that the exercise was conducted in accordance with Section 19 of the Electoral Act 2026, which provides a 14-day window for members of the public to raise objections and complaints following the publication of the preliminary register.
He said the Commission received several complaints involving suspected multiple registrations, manipulated photographs, duplicate entries, unusual names and questionable registration patterns.
According to him, the complaints prompted a comprehensive review of the register to protect its integrity and prevent irregularities from undermining the credibility of the 2027 general elections.
The INEC chairman disclosed that the Automated Biometric Identification System (ABIS) initially flagged 1,545,052 records out of 11,823,208 registrations captured during the three phases of the 2025–2026 Continuous Voter Registration exercise for further examination.
He clarified that being flagged by the automated system did not automatically mean that a registration was invalid, as each case was subjected to further verification and adjudication.
He said 268,000 cases were subsequently subjected to adjudication following public complaints, out of which 217,722 were confirmed invalid and removed, while 50,278 were found valid and retained.
The Commission also identified an additional 118,886 invalid registrations through further screening and complaints received from members of the public.
Amupitan said the combined cleanup exercise, including verified records of deceased voters, brought the total number of records removed to 1,609,553.
He stressed that the Commission was determined to ensure that only eligible Nigerians remained on the national register of voters.
The INEC chairman further revealed that investigations into the irregularities uncovered instances where some registration personnel deliberately circumvented established procedures and abused special registration provisions intended for exceptional circumstances, including provisions for persons living with disabilities.
He disclosed that 54 personnel across 10 states had been identified in connection with the infractions and would face appropriate disciplinary measures, including possible prosecution.
Amupitan said the Commission was strengthening its registration procedures, biometric verification and authentication safeguards to prevent a recurrence of such incidents.
He added that the Commission had also directed the removal of certain questionable entries arising from historical registration records between 2011 and 2023 following fresh complaints and verification.
According to him, most of the historical multiple-registration cases originated from voters who registered in new locations without properly transferring their previous registrations.
On the proposed nationwide voter register remediation exercise, the INEC chairman recalled that the Commission had announced plans in February 2026 to improve the quality and accuracy of historical voter records.
However, he said the exercise was postponed following concerns from stakeholders about its proximity to the 2027 general elections and the possibility of affecting eligible voters’ participation.
He emphasised that the postponement did not suspend the Commission’s existing mechanisms for detecting and removing invalid registrations.
On Permanent Voter Cards (PVCs), Amupitan said distribution at local government headquarters across the country was ongoing, while cards for the third and final registration phase were expected to be delivered to the states the following week.
He announced that distribution would return to registration areas across the country from December 1, 2026.
Addressing concerns about multiple voting during the 2027 elections, he assured Nigerians that the Commission had additional safeguards under its accreditation system.
He explained that voters would be required to appear physically at their designated polling units for accreditation using either fingerprint or facial recognition technology.
According to him, the system is designed to verify voters’ identities and prevent individuals from being accredited more than once.
On the court judgment involving former Vice-President Atiku Abubakar, the INEC chairman said the Commission had yet to receive the original judgment and would not act solely on information circulating on social media.
He explained that once the judgment was formally received, the Commission’s legal department and other relevant units would examine its contents and advise on the appropriate course of action before it was presented for consideration.
Amupitan also addressed concerns about the use of artificial intelligence in voter registration, disclosing that the Commission had identified cases involving the alleged use of AI-generated or manipulated photographs.
He said INEC had directed its Information and Communication Technology Department to strengthen its verification procedures, including the use of approved camera applications rather than allowing the importation of photographs from external sources.
He further disclosed that the Commission had approved an Artificial Intelligence Governance Report to guide the responsible deployment of AI in its operations.
The INEC chairman maintained that the Commission remained committed to ensuring a credible and reliable national register of voters ahead of the 2027 general elections.
He said the final register of voters was scheduled for publication on December 15, 2026, after the completion of reconciliation, quality assurance and other verification processes.
