The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has announced plans to conduct a nationwide revalidation of Nigeria’s voter register ahead of the 2027 general elections, citing the need to strengthen the integrity of the electoral process. INEC Chairman, Prof. Joash Amupitan, said the register—first compiled in 2011 and updated for subsequent elections—still contains anomalies that could undermine public confidence.
Speaking at INEC’s first quarterly meeting with civil society organisations, Amupitan said the register, which stood at 93.47 million voters during the 2023 general election, includes cases of duplicate entries, underage registrations, non-citizens, deceased persons and incomplete records. He said a comprehensive clean-up exercise would remove ineligible names, stressing that “we do not expect the dead to come and vote.”
The INEC chairman also disclosed that the commission would register new political parties that meet constitutional and legal requirements before the next general election. According to him, 171 associations applied for registration, but many failed to satisfy provisions of the Constitution, the Electoral Act 2022 and INEC guidelines. He added that successful applicants would be announced soon, while the timetable for the 2027 elections would be released once ongoing amendments to the Electoral Act are concluded.
Amupitan further provided updates on preparations for upcoming elections, including the Abuja Area Council polls and by-elections in Rivers and Kano states, noting that non-sensitive materials have been deployed and logistics are on track. He urged civil society groups to intensify voter education, encourage PVC collection, and help curb hate speech, vote buying and election-related violence as the country moves closer to the 2027 polls.
