The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has removed 1,608,660 invalid voter registrations from the preliminary register of voters, following a nationwide review of entries from the 2025/2026 Continuous Voter Registration (CVR) exercise.
Key facts
- 1,608,660 invalid voter registrations removed
- 1,749 records of deceased persons removed
- 54 registration officials in 10 states face possible disciplinary action
- Cleaned-up register due December 16, 2026
How the Invalid Voter Registrations Were Identified
INEC Chairman, Prof Joash Amupitan (SAN), disclosed this on Monday while briefing journalists on the outcome of the review of the preliminary register of voters.
He said the commission received 11,088,238 registration records from the three phases of the 2025/2026 CVR exercise. According to him, INEC’s Automated Biometric Identification System initially flagged 1,545,052 records for further examination.
Amupitan clarified, however, that being flagged by the automated system did not automatically make a registration invalid. Each case, he said, underwent further examination and authorised adjudication.
The commission also removed 876 records belonging to persons verified to be deceased. A further 873 records of deceased persons were identified and removed, bringing the total to 1,749.
What Prompted the Removal of Invalid Voter Registrations
The clean-up followed complaints, claims and objections raised by Nigerians after the preliminary register was displayed nationwide between October 9 and 15, 2026.
Nigerians and civil society organisations reportedly identified irregularities, including suspected artificial intelligence-generated photographs, duplicate registrations, unusual names and entries belonging to deceased persons.
Some of the questionable photographs circulated on social media, raising concerns about the integrity of the voter registration process and INEC’s verification procedures. The commission subsequently reviewed the register to investigate the complaints and remove invalid entries.
Officials Face Action Over Invalid Voter Registrations
Amupitan also disclosed that 54 registration officials across 10 states had been identified for possible disciplinary action, including prosecution, over their alleged involvement in the irregularities uncovered during the exercise.
INEC said it would publish the cleaned-up register of voters on December 16, 2026, in accordance with the Electoral Act.
