INEC Moves to Clean Voter Register, Says Dead Nigerians Still Listed Since 2011

The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has disclosed that the names of some Nigerians who died as far back as 2011 are still contained in the nation's voter register, underscoring the need for a comprehensive audit of the database ahead of future elections.

The Chairman of INEC, Professor Joash Amupitan, made the disclosure in Abuja while receiving the Director-General and Chief Executive Officer of the National Identity Management Commission (NIMC), Engr. Abisoye Coker-Odusote and her management team during a courtesy visit to the Commission's headquarters.

The meeting marked a renewed commitment by both agencies to strengthen collaboration on identity verification, voter registration and data integrity as preparations continue for the 2027 general elections.

Amupitan said the recently enacted National Identity Management Commission Act, 2026, provides a stronger legal framework for integrating Nigeria's identity management system with the electoral process, creating a more credible and transparent voter register.

According to him, INEC intends to leverage NIMC's database, which currently covers more than 136 million enrolled Nigerians, to identify and remove duplicate registrations, deceased persons and other irregular entries from the national register of voters.

"Entries belonging to Nigerians who died as far back as 2011 remain on INEC's records, alongside cases of duplication. The Commission looks forward to leveraging NIMC's data architecture to progressively clean up the register," Amupitan said.

He explained that improving the accuracy of the voter register would not only enhance electoral credibility but also significantly reduce the cost of conducting elections.

The INEC chairman noted that the Commission currently prints election materials based on more than 100 million registered voters, including allowances for discrepancies arising from duplicate and outdated records.

"A credible, well-quantified voter register would significantly reduce the overall cost of conducting elections. INEC currently has to print materials in excess of the more than 100 million entries on its register to accommodate discrepancies," he stated.

Amupitan disclosed that a comprehensive verification and quantification exercise would be undertaken after the next general election to further sanitise the voter register.

He also highlighted longstanding identity-related challenges confronting the electoral body, noting that voter identities can be duplicated, stolen or impersonated without stronger digital safeguards.

According to him, INEC's newly introduced online Continuous Voter Registration (CVR) platform already requires applicants to provide their National Identification Number (NIN), describing the measure as a major step toward improving identity verification and reducing electoral fraud.

The Commission, he added, also provides replacement Permanent Voter Cards (PVCs), including printable versions, for eligible voters whose cards have been lost, damaged or become unreadable, provided such requests are made at least 90 days before an election, in line with the Electoral Act.

Amupitan further stressed the need for robust safeguards as emerging technologies such as artificial intelligence become increasingly integrated into electoral administration.

He said INEC and NIMC would continue working together to develop secure protocols capable of protecting sensitive voter data while strengthening confidence in Nigeria's electoral system.

Commending the leadership of NIMC, the INEC chairman disclosed that technical teams from both agencies have already begun discussions on implementing the new framework to maximise collaboration ahead of the 2027 elections.

Earlier, NIMC Director-General Engr. Abisoye Coker-Odusote said the NIMC Act 2026, signed into law by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu on June 26, marks a major milestone in Nigeria's digital identity ecosystem after nearly two decades of legislative reforms.

She explained that the law repositions NIMC as Nigeria's root authority for Public Key Infrastructure (PKI) and the foundation of the country's Digital Public Infrastructure (DPI), providing stronger identity verification systems for governance, public services and elections.

Coker-Odusote assured INEC of the Commission's full support, saying a credible digital identity system remains essential to transparent elections and effective governance, while expressing confidence that closer collaboration between both institutions would strengthen public trust in Nigeria's electoral process ahead of the 2027 polls.