Nigeria’s electoral commission has wiped more than 1.6 million invalid records from the national voters’ register. The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) announced the purge at a press conference in Abuja, and the figure stunned many observers. Moreover, the commission says it will publish the cleaned register on 15 December 2026, as electoral law requires.
Public outrage triggered the clean-up. After INEC released the preliminary register, citizens spotted AI-generated images and the names of dead persons among the entries. Complaints about multiple registrations and unusual names followed. Consequently, the commission ordered a technical audit and promised corrective action.
INEC Chairman Joash Amupitan then laid out the numbers. The commission removed 1,609,553 records in total. Of those, 1,608,660 were confirmed invalid registrations, while 873 belonged to verified deceased voters. Additionally, the audit, which relied on the Automated Biometric Identification System, uncovered multiple registrations, manipulated photographs and irregular registration patterns.
Amupitan admitted that such irregularities raise serious questions. However, he insisted that the commission has answered them with action. “The response is evidence-led investigation, completed corrective action and stronger preventive controls,” he said. He added that INEC will keep sharing verifiable aggregate outcomes while it protects personal information and ongoing investigations.
The probe also pointed inward. INEC identified 54 of its own personnel across 10 states who allegedly bypassed standard procedures. According to the chairman, some staff exploited special provisions designed for vulnerable citizens, including persons with disabilities. As a result, the commission has started disciplinary action, and prosecution may follow.
Meanwhile, the commission is also tackling a backlog of voter cards. Nearly three million Nigerians registered in the third phase of the Continuous Voter Registration, and manufacturers produce their cards abroad. Amupitan asked these voters to stay patient. INEC expects to dispatch the cards to the states next week, and distribution will return to the registration areas on 1 December.
Legacy problems remain, though. INEC noted that records carried over from 2011 to 2023 still contain duplications. Therefore, the board has directed that flagged entries from earlier cycles come out after verification. Furthermore, the commission says mandatory physical presence and biometric checks with the Bimodal Voter Accreditation System will block multiple voting in 2027.
The stakes are high. The voters’ register forms the foundation of every election, so errors here can erode confidence in the final result. Consequently, political parties and civil society groups will scrutinise the new list closely, and any leftover anomalies will spark fresh disputes.
Still, trust will not return overnight. Nigerians saw fake photos and dead voters on an official list, and they will want proof that the clean-up worked. The 15 December publication gives them that chance. Voters, parties and observers can then inspect the register themselves and judge whether INEC kept its word ahead of the 2027 elections.
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