The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has removed 1,609,553 invalid records from the national voters’ register following a comprehensive review of registrations captured during the 2025/2026 Continuous Voter Registration (CVR) exercise.
The Commission also identified 54 of its personnel across 10 states for allegedly participating in registration irregularities, warning that those found culpable would face disciplinary measures and possible prosecution.
INEC Chairman, Professor Joash Amupitan, SAN, disclosed this on Monday, November 9, 2026, during a press conference at the Commission’s headquarters in Abuja, where he presented the outcome of the clean-up exercise.
According to him, the affected records comprised 1,608,660 confirmed invalid registrations and 873 entries belonging to verified deceased persons, which were removed separately.
Amupitan explained that INEC harvested 11,088,238 registration records from the three phases of the 2025/2026 CVR exercise. Its Automated Biometric Identification System (ABIS) initially flagged 1,545,052 entries for further examination.
He, however, cautioned that being flagged by the automated system did not automatically make a registration invalid, stressing that every disputed record had to undergo proper review and adjudication.
Before the publication of the Preliminary Register, 1,277,052 registrations had already been declared invalid and removed. Following complaints, claims and objections raised during the public display, another 268,000 cases were subjected to adjudication.
Of that number, 217,722 were confirmed invalid, while 50,278 were cleared and retained. Further screening uncovered an additional 113,886 invalid registrations, bringing the post-display removals to 331,608.
The INEC chairman said the Commission had concluded the clean-up of records generated from the 2025/2026 CVR exercise.
He disclosed that investigations into the irregularities uncovered cases of suspected multiple registrations, unusual registration patterns, substituted photographs and manipulation of registration procedures.
Amupitan said some registration officials deliberately bypassed established procedures and abused provisions designed to accommodate exceptional registration circumstances, including those involving persons with disabilities.
He confirmed that 54 personnel from 10 states had been identified as complicit, adding that the Commission would take appropriate disciplinary action and refer cases involving criminal offences for possible prosecution.
To prevent a recurrence, INEC is strengthening its biometric capture, authentication and verification systems.
The exercise followed complaints received during the display of the Preliminary Register at ward level between October 9 and 15, 2026, as well as its subsequent online publication. Complaints included suspicious photographs, duplicate registrations, unusual names and registration patterns, and entries belonging to deceased persons.
Amupitan said INEC waited for the expiration of the 14-day statutory period provided under Section 19(2) of the Electoral Act, 2026, before announcing the outcome of its review.
The Final Register of Voters is scheduled for publication on December 15, 2026, after which all approved corrections are expected to be reflected.
The INEC chairman warned that removing irregularities associated with the latest CVR exercise would not automatically resolve longstanding problems in the national register.
He said several duplicate names and photographs circulating on social media originated from registration exercises conducted between 2011 and 2023.
According to him, the existing register contains historical data captured under different technologies, operational procedures and quality standards, requiring a broader review.
The Commission has consequently resolved to begin addressing obvious and previously reported cases of duplication in the older register, subject to proper verification.
Amupitan also explained that some voters who complained that their names had disappeared from the register might have registered again instead of transferring their existing registration to a new location.
He said the biometric system invalidated such second registrations, while their original records remained at their previous polling locations. Affected voters were advised to check their former registration centres.
In a related development, INEC has directed the suspension of web cameras in voter registration centres and ordered the adoption of an application-based camera system to prevent the importation of unauthorised photographs into its registration platform.
Amupitan said the decision followed investigations into the use of manipulated and AI-generated photographs in the voters’ register.
He disclosed that the Commission had traced access points used in the irregularities, noting that some system access had been granted through authorised channels.
The chairman also announced the Commission’s approval of a comprehensive Artificial Intelligence governance framework developed in collaboration with the International Foundation for Electoral Systems (IFES) and the United Kingdom High Commission.
He said the framework, which had undergone peer review, would guide the responsible use of AI within the Commission’s operations.
On the controversy surrounding the African Democratic Congress (ADC), Amupitan said INEC was yet to receive the court judgment and would not take action based on documents circulating on social media.
He maintained that the Commission must first obtain and study the official judgment before seeking legal advice and determining its next course of action.
The chairman further assured Nigerians that the Bimodal Voter Accreditation System (BVAS) would remain central to preventing multiple voting during the 2027 general elections.
He said every voter would be required to appear physically at their designated polling unit and undergo biometric authentication through fingerprint or facial recognition.
On Permanent Voter Cards, Amupitan said distribution of cards from the first and second phases, as well as transferred PVCs, was ongoing at local government offices nationwide.
He added that cards from the third phase were being delivered and would be dispatched to states, while distribution would return to Registration Areas from December 1, 2026.
