From David Onuoja, Abuja
In what looks like drama between the Public and the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), has taken a brutal stage on Monday as INEC bowed to the pressure of the stakeholders and general public by removing 1,608,660 confirmed invalid registrations, from the Preliminary Register of Voters arising from the 2025/2026 Continuous Voter Registration (CVR) exercise.
The Commission equally confirmed that about 54 persons cutting across 10 states have been identified as complicit who will face disciplinary action, including possible prosecution.
Chairman of the Commission, Professor Joash Amupitan, disclosed this on Monday at a press conference in Abuja on the display and publication of the preliminary register.
Professor Amupitan said the Commission also removed 873 records belonging to verified deceased persons as a separate category, bringing the total clean-up to 1,609,553 records.
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He explained that the Commission received several complaints, claims and objections in respect of the preliminary register displayed at the ward level between October 9 and 15, 2026, and subsequently published online, in line with Section 19(2) of the Electoral Act, 2026.
According to him, the complaints centred on apparently artificial or manipulated photographs, duplicate registration attempts, unusual names and registration patterns, and reports of deceased persons remaining on the register, with some alleging that the irregularities were intentional to compromise the 2027 election.
The INEC Chairman said the Commission harvested 11,088,238 records from the three phases of the 2025/2026 CVR, out of which the Automated Biometric Identification System (ABIS) initially flagged 1,545,052 for examination. He clarified that a flagged record is not necessarily invalid, as adjudication determines the outcome.
He said before publication of the preliminary register, 1,277,052 registrations had been confirmed invalid and excluded, while after the display, a further 268,000 cases underwent adjudication, out of which 217,722 were confirmed invalid and removed, and 50,278 cleared as valid and retained. Additional screening also identified 113,886 further invalid registrations which were removed.
The INEC boss said the technical assessment found instances where certain registration personnel deliberately circumvented established procedures and misused provisions intended for exceptional circumstances, including for persons with disabilities, adding that 54 persons cutting across 10 states have been identified as complicit and would face disciplinary action, including possible prosecution.
He noted that cleaning the 2025/2026 register alone, will not solve the problem, as most duplications circulated on social media emanated from the historical register of 2011 to 2023. He said the Commission, at its meeting of Monday, November 9, 2026, decided to address those duplications and directed that already flagged and obvious cases should be removed after proper verification.
On complaints of omission, the Chairman said most came from voters who registered between 2011 and 2023 but re-registered instead of transferring their registration, explaining that the second registrations were voided by ABIS while their names remain in their previous locations, and they were advised to check there.
Prof. Amupitan assured that the final register will be published on December 15, 2026, adding that PVC distribution for phases 1 and 2 is ongoing at LGAs, while distribution will return to Registration Areas from December 1, 2026. He also assured that BVAS and Presiding Officers’ SOPs will prevent multiple accreditation and voting on Election Day.
