Oriontimes Newsroom|November 10, 2026
Commission confirms invalid registrations, orders disciplinary action against implicated personnel, bans web cameras and adopts AI governance framework ahead of 2027 elections
The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has removed more than 1.6 million invalid entries from the national register of voters and identified 54 personnel across ten states for disciplinary action and possible prosecution over alleged manipulation of the voter registration process.
The development comes amid growing public concerns over the integrity of the voters' register ahead of the 2027 general elections, following allegations of multiple registrations, suspicious photographs, unusual registration patterns and the inclusion of deceased persons in the database.
INEC Chairman, Professor Joash Amupitan, SAN, disclosed the findings on Monday, November 9, 2026, during a press conference at the Commission's headquarters in Abuja on the display and publication of the Preliminary Register of Voters.
According to the chairman, the Commission recorded 11,088,238 registrations from the three phases of the 2025/2026 Continuous Voter Registration (CVR) exercise. Its Automated Biometric Identification System (ABIS) initially flagged 1,545,052 records for further examination.
However, Amupitan cautioned that being flagged by the automated system did not automatically make a registration invalid, explaining that each case required proper examination and authorised adjudication.
Before the publication of the Preliminary Register, 1,277,052 registrations had already been confirmed invalid and excluded.
Following complaints, claims and objections received during the public display exercise, another 268,000 cases underwent adjudication. Of these, 217,722 were confirmed invalid and removed, while 50,278 were cleared and retained.
Further screening identified an additional 113,886 invalid registrations, bringing the total number of confirmed invalid registrations removed to 1,608,660.
The Commission also reported the removal of 873 records belonging to verified deceased persons as a separate category.
54 INEC PERSONNEL FACE DISCIPLINARY ACTION
Beyond the removal of the irregular entries, the Commission disclosed that its technical investigation uncovered deliberate breaches of established registration procedures by some personnel.
Amupitan said the assessment examined suspected multiple registrations, unusual registration patterns, substituted photographs and irregularities associated with registration transactions.
He alleged that some registration personnel deliberately circumvented established procedures and misused provisions designed for exceptional registration circumstances, including those intended to accommodate persons with disabilities.
According to him, the affected records had undergone review and remediation, while the personnel allegedly connected with the irregularities had been identified for further 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," the chairman stated.
He added that INEC was strengthening its registration controls through enhanced biometric capture, authentication and verification safeguards to prevent a recurrence.
HISTORICAL DUPLICATIONS REMAIN A CONCERN
Despite the latest clean-up, the INEC chairman warned that the removal of irregular entries from the 2025/2026 registration exercise would not completely resolve the integrity concerns surrounding the national voters' register.
He explained that several duplicate names and photographs circulating on social media were linked to registration exercises conducted between 2011 and 2023.
According to him, the national register has evolved through successive registration exercises using different technologies, operational arrangements and data quality standards, leaving historical integrity concerns that require a broader national response.
"Cleaning the register of only the 2025/2026 Continuous Voter Registration (CVR) exercise alone will not solve the problem identified," he warned.
The Commission consequently resolved to address obvious and previously flagged duplications in the older register, subject to proper verification.
INEC had earlier announced a nationwide voter revalidation exercise but postponed it following concerns from stakeholders that conducting the exercise close to the 2027 elections could affect voter participation.
Amupitan maintained that the postponement did not suspend the Commission's existing mechanisms for maintaining the integrity of the register, including biometric screening, adjudication and statutory claims and objections.
INEC BANS WEBCAMS, INTRODUCES APP-BASED PHOTOGRAPH CAPTURE
In a related development, the Commission announced a ban on the use of web cameras during voter registration, directing its Information and Communication Technology department to adopt an application-based camera system.
The decision followed concerns that externally sourced or manipulated photographs, including AI-generated images, had found their way into the preliminary voters' register.
Amupitan said the new arrangement would ensure that photographs used during registration were captured directly through an authorised application rather than imported through external URLs or other sources.
"We have just directed the director of ICT now that our IVFs, this web camera, should not be allowed again. Instead, we should have an app camera. It is what is on the app that will take picture," he said.
He also disclosed that the Commission had traced access points associated with the suspected use of artificial intelligence to infiltrate the registration process.
The chairman said the Commission had approved a comprehensive Artificial Intelligence Governance Framework to guide the responsible deployment of AI in its operations.
According to him, the framework was developed in collaboration with the International Foundation for Electoral Systems (IFES) and the United Kingdom High Commission, subjected to peer review and considered alongside relevant ECOWAS protocols.
He explained that the framework would establish safeguards to ensure that artificial intelligence was deployed for appropriate and legitimate purposes.
INEC AWAITS ADC COURT JUDGMENT
On the leadership dispute involving the African Democratic Congress (ADC), Amupitan said the Commission would not take any decision based on court judgments circulating on social media without first receiving and examining the official judgment.
He explained that the Commission would follow its established procedure by examining the judgment, obtaining professional advice from relevant departments and presenting the matter before the Commission for consideration.
"We don't just act on the basis of what is on the social media," he stated.
The chairman recalled a previous incident involving a purported Supreme Court judgment circulated online, which the apex court subsequently disowned.
He maintained that INEC would carefully examine the legal processes and circumstances surrounding the ADC matter before determining its next line of action.
PVC DISTRIBUTION AND 2027 ELECTION SAFEGUARDS
On Permanent Voter Card distribution, the chairman said collection of cards from the first and second phases of the CVR exercise, including transferred PVCs, was ongoing at Local Government Area offices nationwide.
He disclosed that some PVCs from the third and final phase were being delivered and would be dispatched to states the following week.
Distribution is expected to return to Registration Areas from December 1, 2026.
Addressing concerns about multiple voting, Amupitan assured Nigerians that the Commission's election-day procedures and the Bimodal Voter Accreditation System (BVAS) would require voters to be physically present at their designated polling units and undergo biometric authentication through fingerprints or facial recognition.
He also disclosed that INEC had reviewed its ICT infrastructure and cybersecurity arrangements as part of preparations for the 2027 general elections.
The chairman described the recent irregularities as an early warning that had prompted the Commission to strengthen its internal controls and security measures.
FINAL REGISTER EXPECTED DECEMBER 15
INEC said the final reconciliation, quality assurance and publication checks were ongoing ahead of the release of the Final Register of Voters scheduled for December 15, 2026.
The Commission reiterated its commitment to removing confirmed invalid entries while protecting eligible Nigerians from wrongful exclusion.
It also urged voters who believed their names had been omitted to verify their registration details, noting that some affected persons who registered again after relocating might still have valid records at their previous registration locations.
The latest development places renewed attention on the integrity of Nigeria's electoral database, the accountability of registration personnel and the effectiveness of technological safeguards as preparations intensify for the 2027 general elections.
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