The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has eliminated 1.6 million invalid voter data from the nationwide register forward of the 2027 normal elections, whereas explaining the delay in producing Permanent Voter Cards (PVCs) for Nigerians who registered within the third section of its Continuous Voter Registration (CVR) train.
INEC Chairman, Professor Joash Amupitan, SAN, disclosed this throughout a press convention in Abuja, the place he mentioned the fee had eliminated 1,609,553 data following investigations into irregularities uncovered within the voter register.
He mentioned the determine comprised 1,608,660 confirmed invalid registrations and 873 verified data of deceased voters.
According to him, the clean-up adopted public complaints and scrutiny of the preliminary voter register displayed between October 9 and 15, 2026.
Amupitan mentioned the fee’s technical audit, performed utilizing the Automated Biometric Identification System (ABIS), uncovered irregularities together with uncommon registration patterns, substituted pictures and fraudulent a number of registrations.
He mentioned INEC had additionally recognized 54 workers members throughout 10 states who allegedly manipulated registration procedures and abused particular provisions designed to help susceptible teams, together with individuals with disabilities.
The chairman mentioned disciplinary measures and attainable prosecution had been initiated towards the affected personnel.
He added that the fee would proceed to analyze irregularities and strengthen its inner controls to stop a recurrence.
Why Third-Phase PVCs Are Delayed
On the delay in issuing PVCs to those that registered through the third section of the CVR train, Amupitan mentioned a number of the playing cards had been nonetheless being delivered from abroad for onward distribution throughout the nation.
He mentioned distribution of PVCs for the primary and second phases, together with playing cards for voters who transferred their registration, was ongoing at numerous native authorities areas.
“The distribution of Phases 1 and 2 of the PVC and transferred PVCs is ongoing at the various LGAs in Nigeria. Some of the PVCs for the third and final phase are being delivered and they would be dispatched to the states by next week,” he mentioned.
The INEC chairman mentioned distribution would return to Registration Areas nationwide from December 1, 2026.
He appealed to Nigerians who registered within the third section to train persistence, explaining that manufacturing of the playing cards was being carried out outdoors the nation.
A complete of two,970,257 Nigerians registered through the third section earlier than the fee’s de-duplication course of.
INEC Moves Against Legacy Records
Amupitan additionally disclosed that the fee was reviewing historic voter knowledge carried over from earlier registration workouts between 2011 and 2023 to determine and take away legacy duplicate data.
He mentioned INEC’s board had directed that flagged entries be expunged after correct verification.
On the authorized disputes involving political events, notably the disaster throughout the African Democratic Congress (ADC), the chairman mentioned the fee would solely act on authenticated courtroom paperwork.
“On ADC/Atiku: as of today, we have not received the Certified True Copy of the court judgment and we don’t act based on what we see on social media,” he mentioned.
Amupitan additional assured Nigerians that measures to stop a number of voting and unauthorised accreditation would stay in place forward of the 2027 elections.
He mentioned the Bimodal Voter Accreditation System (BVAS) would proceed to authenticate voters via fingerprints or facial recognition, alongside the requirement for voters to be bodily current throughout accreditation.
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