INEC identifies 1.5 million voter registrations for removal

Nigeria’s Independent National Electoral Commission says it has identified about 1.5 million voter registrations with irregularities for removal as it prepares for the 2027 general elections. INEC Chairman Joash Amupitan said the cleanup is under way and the final register is scheduled for publication on December 15, 2026. Amupitan gave the figures during a meeting in Abuja with a United Nations delegation led by Leonardo Santos Simão, the UN’s special representative for West Africa and the Sahel. He said the register contained about 103 million voters, with people aged 18 to 34 making up nearly 29 percent. INEC said it is displaying the register for claims and objections under Section 19 of the Electoral Act and continuing to distribute Permanent Voter Cards. The commission also plans nationwide mock accreditation and election exercises before the polls to test its technology. Amupitan said INEC had reduced the number of voters assigned to each Bimodal Voter Accreditation System device from 1,250 to 800. He also cited the INEC Result Viewing Portal as part of the commission’s approach to making polling-unit results accessible. A separate concern about the register was raised...