The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has removed 1,609,533 invalid records from the national register of voters after a nationwide clean-up exposed multiple registrations, manipulated photographs, and entries belonging to deceased persons.
The commission also identified 54 personnel across 10 states allegedly involved in registration irregularities.
INEC warned that those found culpable would face administrative disciplinary measures and possible prosecution.
INEC Chairman Prof Joash Amupitan disclosed this on Monday in Abuja while briefing journalists on the outcome of the review of the Preliminary Register of Voters ahead of the 2027 general elections.
The clean-up followed the 2025/2026 Continuous Voter Registration (CVR) exercise and public scrutiny of the preliminary register.
The Numbers
Amupitan explained that the commission removed 1,608,660 confirmed invalid registrations and 873 records belonging to verified deceased voters.
He said the commission had concluded the cleaning exercise relating to the latest CVR, while final reconciliation, quality assurance, and publication checks were ongoing ahead of the release of the Final Register of Voters scheduled for December 15, 2026.
He said the review was conducted in accordance with Section 19(2) of the Electoral Act 2026, which provides for public objections, claims, and complaints within 14 days of the display of the Preliminary Register of Voters.
Amupitan said the commission harvested 11,088,238 registration records from the three phases of the CVR exercise.
He disclosed that the Automated Biometric Identification System (ABIS) initially flagged 1,545,052 records for further examination, stressing that being flagged did not automatically establish that a registration was invalid.
Of the records subjected to further scrutiny, 1,277,052 registrations were confirmed invalid and excluded before the publication of the preliminary register.
Following complaints, claims, and objections during the seven-day display exercise conducted between October 9 and 15, the commission subjected an additional 268,000 cases to adjudication.
Amupitan said 217,722 of the cases were confirmed invalid and removed, while 50,278 were cleared as valid and retained in the register.
He added that subsequent screening identified another 113,886 invalid registrations, bringing the total number of invalid records removed after the review to 331,608.
These were in addition to the 1,277,052 registrations earlier excluded, while the 873 records belonging to deceased voters were treated as a separate category.
Exploiting Disability Provisions
The chairman said the findings exposed deliberate attempts to circumvent established registration procedures.
He said this included the misuse of provisions designed to accommodate exceptional registration circumstances, particularly those relating to persons with disabilities.
He said the commission had identified the affected records and commenced verification and remediation.
Personnel allegedly connected with the infractions had been identified for administrative investigation.
“Fifty-four persons cutting across ten states have been identified as complicit and necessary disciplinary action will be taken against them including possible prosecution,” he said.
Amupitan cautioned, however, that the latest exercise had not completely resolved the integrity concerns surrounding the national register.
He said several irregularities predated the 2025/2026 registration exercise.
Many complaints involving multiple registrations and suspicious photographs circulating on social media concerned historical records captured between 2011 and 2023.
AI Safeguards and BVAS
On allegations that artificial intelligence-generated photographs were used to compromise voter registration, Amupitan confirmed that the commission had identified cases involving manipulated images and was introducing additional safeguards.
He said INEC had directed its Director of Information and Communication Technology to discontinue the use of external webcam-based image uploads for voter registration.
Photographs must henceforth be captured through an approved application.
“You see, it takes just one person to compromise the password. Some of those things are given in authority. And when that is done, you know what AI can do,” he said.
Amupitan said the commission had approved a comprehensive Artificial Intelligence Governance Framework to regulate the responsible deployment of AI in its operations.
The framework was developed in collaboration with partners, including the Institute for Security Studies (ISS) and the British High Commission.
He added that security agencies were conducting independent investigations into the irregularities, while INEC would refer cases involving suspected criminal conduct to law enforcement agencies.
Addressing concerns that the irregularities could undermine the credibility of the elections, Amupitan maintained that the Bimodal Voter Accreditation System (BVAS) would prevent multiple accreditation and voting.
Voters will be required to appear physically at their designated polling units and undergo biometric authentication through fingerprint verification or facial recognition.
ADC Judgment and Sowore Subpoena
Meanwhile, Amupitan said INEC would obtain and study the judgment of the Federal High Court concerning the leadership crisis in the African Democratic Congress (ADC) before determining its next line of action.
The judgment nullified the David Mark-led leadership of the party and has raised questions about the political future of former Vice-President Atiku Abubakar ahead of the 2027 elections.
“We don’t just act on the basis of what was posted on the social media,” Amupitan said.
On the subpoena issued by a Federal High Court in Abuja directing him to appear as a defence witness in the ongoing criminal trial of Omoyele Sowore, Amupitan said he was yet to receive the order.
“I have not received the order. So when I receive the order, I would look at what it says and then know what to do accordingly,” he said.
