Adedayo Akinwale in Abuja
The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has removed 1,609,553 invalid registrations from the preliminary register of voters ahead of the publication of the Final Register on 15th December, 2026.
The Chairman, Prof. Joash Amupitan, SAN, announced this at a press conference on Monday in Abuja.
He explained that following complaints, claims and objections raised by the public during the display of the register at ward level between 9th and 15th October, 2026 and its subsequent online publication, the invalid registrations were removed by the commission.
He revealed that 1,608,660 confirmed invalid registrations removed were from the 2025/2026 Continuous Voter Registration (CVR), while 873 verified deceased voters were removed as a separate category.
Amupitan explained that INEC harvested 11,088,238 records from the three phases of the 2025/2026 CVR, while the Automated Biometric Identification System (ABIS) initially flagged 1,545,052 for examination.
He stressed that before the preliminary register was published, 1,277,052 had already been confirmed invalid and excluded.
Amupitan noted that after display, a further 268,000 cases went through adjudication — 217,722 were confirmed invalid and removed, while 50,278 were cleared as valid and retained.
He disclosed that additional screening later identified 113,886 more invalid registrations, which were also removed.
The chairman added: “The cumulative total of confirmed invalid registrations removed after the objections, claims and complaints is 331,608, in addition to the 873 separately verified deceased voters’ records. This brings the total clean-up to 1,608,660.
“The Commission confirms that the current register-cleaning exercise for the 2025/2026 Continuous Voters Registration (CVR) has been concluded.
“All 1,608,660 confirmed invalid registrations have been removed. In addition, 873 records belonging to verified deceased persons have also been removed as a separate category.
“The combined total of records removed under these two categories is 1,609,553. Final reconciliation, quality assurance and publication checks remain to ensure that approved changes are accurately reflected in the final register, scheduled for publication on 15 December 2026.”
Giving an insight on how the irregularities happened, the Commission said its technical assessment found instances where some registration personnel deliberately circumvented procedures and misused provisions meant for exceptional cases, including for persons with disabilities.
Amupitan pointed out that 54 persons across 10 states have been identified as complicit during the CVR exercise, saying disciplinary action would be taken against them, including possible prosecution.
The Chairman admitted that cleaning only the 2025/2026 CVR would not solve the problem, saying most of the duplications, strange pictures and unusual names circulated on social media came from the 2011-2023 historical register.
He said the Commission has also decided to remove already flagged duplications and obvious cases in the old register after proper verification.
The chairman further clarified that most complaints about omitted names came from voters who registered between 2011-2023, moved to a new location and re-registered instead of transferring.
He said their second registration was voided by ABIS, but their names remained in their previous location.
The chairman advised those that fall into that category to check their previous locations.
Amupitan recalled that in February 2026, INEC had announced a nationwide voter revalidation exercise to update biometrics and resolve inconsistencies.
The exercise, he added, was deferred till after the 2027 general election following stakeholder concerns about its proximity to the elections.
He said the deferment did not suspend biometric screening, adjudication and other verification procedures.
The chairman revealed that distribution of Phases 1 and 2 PVCs and transferred PVCs are ongoing at LGAs, while PVCs for Phase 3 are being delivered and would be dispatched to states by next week.
He said from 1st December, 2026, distribution would return to Registration Areas nationwide.
The commission, however, appealed for patience from Phase 3 registrants, saying production was done outside the country
The Chairman assured Nigerians that BVAS would prevent multiple voting, adding that every voter must be physically present at their designated Polling Unit and undergo biometric authentication using fingerprint or facial recognition.
He said the Commission remained committed both to removing confirmed invalid entries and to protecting eligible Nigerians from wrongful exclusion,” Amupitan said.