INEC Deletes 1.6 Million Fake Voters From Register, 54 Staff Face Probe Ahead Of 2027 Elections

INEC Deletes 1.6 Million Fake Voters From Register, 54 Staff Face Probe Ahead Of 2027 Elections

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, suspicious registration patterns and entries belonging to deceased persons.

The commission also identified 54 personnel across 10 states allegedly involved in registration irregularities, warning 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, which followed the 2025/2026 Continuous Voter Registration (CVR) exercise and subsequent public scrutiny of the preliminary register, is part of efforts to address longstanding integrity concerns surrounding the national voters register.

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.

According to him, the current national register evolved through successive registration and continuous voter registration exercises since 2011, with biometric and demographic data collected under different technologies, operational arrangements and quality standards.

He noted that although the register had undergone cleansing and biometric comparisons at different stages, historical integrity concerns remained and required a systematic national response.

Amupitan said the review was conducted in accordance with Section 19(2) of the Electoral Act, 2026, which provides for public objections, claims and complaints against the Preliminary Register of Voters within 14 days of its display.

He explained that the statutory process was intended to allow eligible voters and members of the public to identify irregularities, enabling the commission to make necessary corrections before publishing the final register.

How INEC Found The Fake Voters

Giving a breakdown of the exercise, the INEC chairman 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 the receipt of 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.

54 INEC Staff Flagged For Fraud

The chairman said the findings exposed deliberate attempts to circumvent established registration procedures, including 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, while 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, however, cautioned that the latest exercise had not completely resolved the integrity concerns surrounding the national register, noting that several irregularities predated the 2025/2026 registration exercise.

He said many of the complaints involving multiple registrations and suspicious photographs circulating on social media concerned historical records captured between 2011 and 2023.

According to him, the commission decision to defer the proposed nationwide voter revalidation exercise until after the 2027 general elections did not mean it had abandoned existing mechanisms for identifying and removing invalid entries.

He disclosed that INEC, at its meeting on Monday, resolved to address outstanding duplications in the historical register, directing that records already flagged through public complaints and obvious cases identified internally should be removed after proper verification.

Why Some Voters Could Not Find Their Names

The chairman also explained that some voters who relocated and complained about the omission of their names had registered afresh instead of transferring their existing registrations to their new polling locations.

He said the subsequent registrations were invalidated by the biometric screening system, while their original records remained at their previous registration locations.

He consequently advised affected voters to check their former registration locations rather than assume that their names had been completely removed from the register.

INEC Moves Against AI Fake Photos

On allegations that artificial intelligence-generated photographs were being 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, insisting that 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 further disclosed that the commission had approved a comprehensive Artificial Intelligence Governance Framework to regulate the responsible deployment of AI in its operations.

He said the framework, developed in collaboration with partners, including the Institute for Security Studies (ISS) and the British High Commission, had undergone peer review and received the commission approval.

He added that security agencies were conducting independent investigations into the irregularities, while INEC would refer cases involving suspected criminal conduct to the appropriate law enforcement agencies for prosecution.

The commission, he said, was also strengthening its information technology infrastructure and cybersecurity measures ahead of the 2027 elections.

Will BVAS Stop Rigging In 2027?

Addressing concerns that the discovered irregularities could undermine the credibility of the forthcoming elections, Amupitan maintained that existing safeguards, particularly the Bimodal Voter Accreditation System (BVAS), would prevent multiple accreditation and voting.

He explained that voters would be required to appear physically at their designated polling units and undergo biometric authentication through either fingerprint verification or facial recognition.

According to him, the system verifies voters identities against the register and records successful accreditation, with controls designed to prevent an individual from being accredited more than once.

The INEC chairman said the complaints and objections received during the preliminary register display had demonstrated the importance of the statutory review process, which provides an opportunity for the public to identify irregularities before the publication of the final register.

He reiterated the commission commitment to protecting eligible voters against wrongful exclusion while ensuring that confirmed invalid entries were removed.

INEC Speaks On ADC Crisis, Sowore Subpoena, Early Voting

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, which nullified the David Mark-led leadership of the party, has also raised questions about the implications for the political future and presidential ambitions of former Vice-President Atiku Abubakar ahead of the 2027 elections.

The chairman said the commission would not act on information circulating on social media without first obtaining the relevant court documents and examining the judicial processes.

We dont just act on the basis of what was posted on the social media. Remember one of the judgments of Supreme Court sometime ago that was posted on social media, it trended and the Supreme Court disowned itself from it, and even some people have been investigated.

So, normally, when we receive judgment like that, it comes with the provision of the relevant documents, like Certified True Copy surrounding each case. And in this case, I have yet to receive the judgments. So the judgment is to be received and studied. You know I am also a lawyer. Apart from that, I will go to through it to see the processes that have been filed, he 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 human rights activist and African Action Congress (AAC) presidential candidate, Omoyele Sowore, Amupitan said he was yet to receive the order.

The subpoena directs the INEC chairman to produce electoral documents relating to President Bola Tinubu 1999 Lagos State governorship election and the 2023 presidential election.

Sowore is standing trial over his description of the president as a criminal, a remark that forms part of the allegations in the ongoing case.

Responding to questions on the matter, Amupitan said the commission would study the subpoena upon receipt and determine the appropriate action in accordance with its provisions.

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.

On the possibility of introducing early voting for journalists and electoral officials who would be engaged in election duties, the INEC chairman said the proposal was not currently recognised under the existing electoral law.

He explained that previous efforts to introduce early voting through amendments to the Electoral Act had not secured the necessary support in the National Assembly.

Amupitan, however, expressed support for continued advocacy on the issue, noting that electoral officials and journalists should also have the opportunity to exercise their constitutional right to vote, even when their professional responsibilities require them to be on election duty.

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