INEC plans nationwide voter revalidation for 2027 elections

The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) says it will revalidate Nigeria’s voter register ahead of the 2027 general elections to remove ineligible names and strengthen electoral integrity.

INEC Chairman, Prof Joash Amupitan, said the register, first compiled in 2011 and updated for subsequent elections, requires a comprehensive clean-up to address persistent anomalies.

Speaking at the Commission’s first quarterly meeting with Civil Society Organisations (CSOs), Amupitan said duplicated entries, under-age registration, non-citizens, deceased voters and inaccurate records continue to undermine public confidence.

“As of the 2023 general election, the register stood at 93,469,008 voters,” he said. “However, persistent challenges… continue to generate legitimate concerns. Such anomalies undermine public confidence in the electoral process.”

He announced that INEC would conduct a nationwide voter revalidation exercise ahead of the 2027 polls to further sanitise the register.

Amupitan added that a review of the database revealed the names of deceased prominent Nigerians.

“We do not expect the dead to come and vote, and that affects our electoral integrity,” he said.

The INEC chairman also disclosed that new political parties that meet constitutional and legal requirements would be registered before the next general election.

“You will recall that the Commission received a total of 171 letters of intent from associations seeking registration as political parties,” he said, noting that applications were assessed in line with the Constitution, the Electoral Act 2022 and INEC guidelines.

“Several associations failed to meet the requirements. The successful association(s) will soon be announced by the Commission.”

He also gave updates on preparations for the Abuja Area Council elections and upcoming by-elections in Rivers and Kano states.