The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has removed more than 1.6 million invalid entries from the national voters’ register and identified 54 personnel across 10 states allegedly involved in registration irregularities, warning that those found culpable would face disciplinary action and possible prosecution.
The development comes as the judiciary prepares to handle disputes arising from the 2027 general elections, with 375 judges nominated for election petition tribunals and the Chief Justice of Nigeria (CJN), Justice Kudirat Kekere-Ekun, cautioning lawyers against practices capable of undermining electoral justice.
The warning formed part of a broader call by judicial and electoral authorities for professionalism, impartiality and accountability in the conduct of elections and the resolution of disputes, amid emerging concerns over artificial intelligence-generated evidence, digital manipulation and attempts to influence judicial decisions.
INEC Chairman, Prof. Joash Amupitan, disclosed the removal of the records yesterday in Abuja while briefing journalists on the outcome of the review of the Preliminary Register of Voters ahead of the 2027 general elections.
He said the exercise uncovered multiple registrations, manipulated photographs, irregular registration patterns and records belonging to deceased persons.
According to him, the commission harvested 11,088,238 registration records from the three phases of the 2025/2026 Continuous Voter Registration (CVR) exercise.
The Automated Biometric Identification System (ABIS) initially flagged 1,545,052 records for further examination, although he clarified that being flagged did not automatically render a registration invalid.
Of the flagged records, 1,277,052 were confirmed invalid and excluded before publication of the Preliminary Register.
Following complaints, claims and objections received during the seven-day display exercise between October 9 and 15, the commission subjected another 268,000 cases to adjudication. Of these, 217,722 were confirmed invalid and removed, while 50,278 were cleared as valid and retained.
Amupitan said additional screening subsequently identified another 113,886 invalid registrations, bringing the number of invalid entries removed during the review to 1,608,660.
The commission also removed 873 records belonging to verified deceased voters.
Credit: guardian.ng
