INEC STEPS UP VOTER REGISTER CLEANUP AHEAD OF 2027 ELECTIONS
By: Safiya Abdulrahim Dabban
The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has intensified efforts to clean up Nigeria’s Register of Voters ahead of the 2027 general elections to ensure credible and transparent polls.
The exercise targets irregularities such as duplicate registrations, deceased persons, underage voters, non-citizens and inaccurate voter information.
INEC Chairman, Professor Joash Amupitan, said maintaining an accurate voters’ register is essential to strengthening electoral integrity and public confidence in the electoral process.
The Commission disclosed that it is using technology, including its Automated Biometric Identification System (ABIS), to detect suspicious and invalid records. It also allows members of the public to scrutinise the preliminary register and report discrepancies for correction.
INEC’s Director of Information and Communication Technology, Lawrence Bayode, revealed that the system flagged 268 records over suspected AI-generated photographs and other irregularities. He added that about 1.5 million questionable voter records were identified, with more than 1.27 million confirmed invalid and removed from the national database.
However, the Commission clarified that genuine voter photographs enhanced with artificial intelligence would not automatically lead to disqualification.
INEC stressed that the preliminary register is not the final version, as verification and corrections are still ongoing. The Commission is expected to certify the final Register of Voters on December 15, 2026.