The African Democratic Congress (ADC) has demanded greater transparency from the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) following the removal of more than 1.6 million invalid voter registrations from the preliminary national voters’ register ahead of the 2027 general elections.
Mazi Paul Ibe, spokesperson for former Vice-President Atiku Abubakar, said Nigerians deserve a detailed explanation of the nationwide clean-up exercise, including a state-by-state breakdown of deleted records and clarification on how older voter registrations were examined.
Ibe’s demand followed an announcement by INEC Chairman, Professor Joash Amupitan, on Monday, November 9, that the commission had removed 1,608,660 confirmed invalid registrations arising from the 2025/2026 Continuous Voter Registration (CVR) exercise.
The commission also disclosed that 873 records belonging to verified deceased persons had been removed separately, bringing the reported combined figure to 1,609,553 records.
The development comes amid public controversy over the preliminary voters’ register published online on October 26, following complaints about suspected multiple registrations, questionable voter photographs, unusual names and entries allegedly belonging to deceased persons.
In a statement posted on his Facebook page on Tuesday, Ibe questioned whether INEC’s intervention adequately addressed concerns about the integrity of the national register, particularly as some suspicious entries reportedly originated from registration exercises conducted between 2011 and 2023.
He argued that Nigerians needed assurances that the commission was not merely addressing recently registered voters while leaving potentially questionable records from previous registration exercises untouched.
“Prof. Joash Amupitan says INEC removed 1,608,660 invalid records from the 2025/2026 registration exercise. That is roughly one in seven records collected in that exercise. Yet the chairman also acknowledged that some of the suspicious entries Nigerians flagged date back to registration exercises between 2011 and 2023. So how much of the older register has actually been checked?” Ibe asked.
INEC Explains How 1.6 Million Records Were Removed
Providing further details of the exercise, Amupitan said INEC collected 11,088,238 registration records across the three phases of the 2025/2026 CVR exercise.
According to the chairman, the commission’s Automated Biometric Identification System (ABIS) initially flagged 1,545,052 records for further examination.
He, however, cautioned that being flagged by the automated system did not automatically mean that a registration was invalid, explaining that each case had to undergo further examination and authorised adjudication.
Before the publication of the preliminary register, 1,277,052 registrations had already been confirmed invalid and excluded.
Following public complaints, claims and objections, INEC subsequently reviewed another 268,000 cases. Of these, 217,722 were found to be invalid and removed, while 50,278 were cleared as legitimate registrations and retained.
Further screening identified an additional 113,886 invalid registrations.
The commission said the subsequent reviews accounted for 331,608 additional invalid records, bringing the total number of confirmed invalid registrations removed to 1,608,660.
The separate removal of 873 verified deceased voters’ records brought the reported overall figure to 1,609,553.
INEC maintained that the exercise was designed to improve the accuracy and credibility of the voters’ register without disenfranchising eligible Nigerians.
Public Complaints Triggered Further Investigation
The clean-up followed widespread criticism after Nigerians raised concerns about suspicious entries in the preliminary voters’ register.
The register was displayed at registration areas between October 9 and October 15, 2026, before its online publication on October 26.
Among the concerns raised were suspected AI-generated photographs, duplicate registrations, questionable personal details and names of deceased individuals.
Ibe maintained that public pressure played a significant role in compelling the electoral commission to investigate the complaints.
He questioned whether the disputed entries would have been identified if Nigerians, political parties and civil society organisations had not demanded greater access to the register.
He also criticised the timing and accessibility of the online publication, arguing that the process did not provide sufficient opportunity for comprehensive public scrutiny.
According to him, the credibility of the exercise should not depend solely on assurances from INEC but on transparent procedures that allow independent verification.
54 Officials Identified Over Registration Irregularities
In another revelation, Amupitan disclosed that INEC had identified 54 individuals across 10 states allegedly connected with registration irregularities.
The chairman said the individuals would face appropriate disciplinary measures, including possible prosecution, depending on the outcome of investigations.
He explained that some registration personnel deliberately bypassed established procedures and abused provisions intended to accommodate exceptional registration circumstances, including those involving persons with disabilities.
INEC also said it was strengthening its registration procedures through improved biometric capture, authentication and verification safeguards to prevent a recurrence.
However, Ibe wants the commission to provide further details about the identities of the affected personnel, the nature of their alleged offences and the disciplinary measures being considered.
He also questioned the status of registration officers allegedly involved in accepting AI-generated or manipulated photographs during the registration process, insisting that accountability should extend beyond removing questionable records.