The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has identified 54 persons across 10 states over alleged deliberate breaches of voter registration procedures, warning that those found culpable could face prosecution.
The commission’s Chairman, Prof. Joash Amupitan, disclosed this while providing further details of its investigation into irregularities uncovered during the 2025/2026 Continuous Voter Registration (CVR) exercise.
He said the technical assessment examined suspected multiple registrations, unusual registration patterns, substituted photographs and other irregularities associated with registration transactions.
According to Amupitan, the investigation revealed that some registration personnel deliberately circumvented established procedures and abused provisions designed to accommodate exceptional registration circumstances, including those involving persons with disabilities.
He said the affected records had been identified and subjected to appropriate review and corrective measures, while the personnel linked to the infractions had been referred for administrative investigation.
“Fifty-four persons across 10 states have been identified as complicit and necessary disciplinary action will be taken against them, including possible prosecution,” he said.
Amupitan added that INEC was strengthening its registration procedures through improved biometric capture, authentication and verification safeguards to prevent a recurrence.
He noted that the number of affected records warranted a thorough examination of how the irregularities occurred and the individuals responsible.
Historical duplications remain a concern
Despite the removal of more than 1.6 million records, INEC warned that the clean-up of the 2025/2026 registration exercise alone would not address all the integrity concerns surrounding the national voters’ register.
Amupitan disclosed that a significant number of duplicate names and photographs circulated on social media related to registrations conducted between 2011 and 2023.
He explained that the national register had evolved through successive registration and CVR exercises since 2011, using different generations of technology, operational arrangements and data quality standards.
Although the register had undergone cleansing exercises and biometric comparisons at various times, he said significant historical integrity issues remained and required a systematic national response.
The INEC chairman explained that even after the removal of the 331,608 irregularities identified following the display of the 2025/2026 preliminary register, the final voters’ list could still contain duplicate records inherited from previous registration exercises.
“Cleaning the register of only the 2025/2026 Continuous Voter Registration (CVR) exercise alone will not solve the problem identified.
“Even with the removal of 331,608 who were found to be irregular in the Preliminary Voter Register for 2025/2026 displayed and published, the final list will still carry over the duplications of 2011-2023,” he said.
He noted that most of the complaints and photographs circulating on social media concerning multiple registrations related to the old register rather than the latest exercise.
Amupitan said the commission had directed that records flagged through public complaints, alongside obvious cases identified during its review, should be removed after proper verification.
Why some voters’ names disappeared
Addressing complaints from Nigerians who claimed that their names had disappeared from the preliminary register, Amupitan said investigations showed that most of the affected individuals had registered between 2011 and 2023.
He explained that some voters had relocated from their original registration locations but failed to transfer their registration to their new places of residence.
Instead, they registered afresh in their new locations, resulting in duplicate entries.
According to him, the Automated Biometric Identification System (ABIS) identified and voided the subsequent registrations because the individuals already had existing records in the national register.
He, however, clarified that their original registrations remained valid at their previous locations, meaning they had not necessarily been deleted from the register.
The chairman advised affected voters to verify their registration details and check their former polling units where necessary.
INEC postpones nationwide voter revalidation
Amupitan recalled that INEC announced plans in February 2026 to conduct a nationwide voter revalidation exercise as part of efforts to improve the accuracy and reliability of the national register.
He said the proposed exercise was designed to address inconsistencies in historical records, particularly those captured using older registration technologies.
It was also expected to provide voters with an opportunity to update their biometric information, resolve outstanding registration discrepancies and improve the accreditation process on election day.
However, the commission deferred the exercise following concerns raised by stakeholders about its proximity to the 2027 general elections and the possibility that it could affect the participation of eligible voters.
Amupitan stressed that the postponement did not mean the commission had suspended its existing mechanisms for safeguarding the integrity of the register.
He said biometric screening, adjudication, statutory claims and objections, as well as other established verification procedures, remained in place.
According to him, INEC would continue to deploy these mechanisms to identify and correct irregularities ahead of the publication of the final register.
PVC distribution to resume at registration areas on 1 December
On the distribution of Permanent Voter Cards (PVCs), Amupitan said the exercise for the first and second phases of the CVR, including transferred cards, was ongoing across local government areas nationwide.
He disclosed that some PVCs produced for the third and final phase were being delivered and would be dispatched to the states the following week.
The chairman said distribution would return to registration areas across the country from 1 December 2026.
He appealed to voters who participated in the third phase of the registration exercise to be patient, explaining that the production of the cards was being undertaken outside Nigeria.
“The distribution of Phases 1 and 2 of the PVC and transferred PVCs is ongoing at the various LGAs in Nigeria. Some of the PVCs for the third and final Phase are being delivered, and they will be dispatched to the states by next week.
“Meanwhile, as from 1st December 2026, distribution will go back to the Registration Areas all over Nigeria,” he said.
He assured eligible voters that the commission remained committed to ensuring they received their cards in good time ahead of the elections.
INEC explains safeguards against multiple voting
Addressing concerns that multiple registrations could translate into multiple voting during the 2027 general elections, Amupitan said the commission had additional safeguards to prevent electoral fraud on election day.
He explained that the Standard Operating Procedures for presiding officers, together with the Bimodal Voter Accreditation System (BVAS), required voters to be physically present at their designated polling units for biometric authentication.
According to him, the BVAS verifies voters’ identities against the register through either fingerprint or facial recognition and records successful accreditation.
He said the system also contained controls designed to prevent the same voter from being accredited more than once.
The chairman added that the procedures governing the issuance of ballot papers provided another layer of protection against multiple voting.
“The Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) for Presiding Officers, together with the Bimodal Voter Accreditation System (BVAS), require every voter to be physically present at their designated Polling Unit and undergo biometric authentication using either fingerprints or facial recognition.
“The accreditation process verifies the voter’s identity against the register and records successful accreditation, with controls designed to prevent the same voter from being accredited more than once,” he said.
Final register to be published on 15 December
Amupitan maintained that the commission’s objective was not merely to remove invalid registrations but also to ensure that eligible Nigerians were not wrongly denied their constitutional right to vote.
He said complaints from members of the public, documented claims and objections, as well as reports submitted by state offices, had provided important evidence for the review.
The INEC chairman reiterated the commission’s commitment to communicating verifiable aggregate results while protecting voters’ personal information and the integrity of ongoing investigations.
He acknowledged that the discovery of irregularities raised legitimate questions about how they occurred but insisted that the commission’s response would be guided by evidence, corrective action and stronger preventive measures.
“The commission remains committed both to removing confirmed invalid entries and to protecting eligible Nigerians from wrongful exclusion.
“Public observations, documented claims and objections and verified State Office submissions are important inputs to this process. The results presented today reflect the evidence examined and the corrective action recorded,” he said.
He added that the commission had concluded the current clean-up exercise and would ensure that all approved changes were accurately reflected in the final register, scheduled for publication on 15 December 2026.
“The response is evidence-led investigation, completed corrective action and stronger preventive controls,” Amupitan said.
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