The Independent National Electoral Commission has removed more than 1.6 million invalid voter registrations and identified 54 officials across ten states for possible disciplinary action and prosecution.
This raises a serious question ahead of the 2027 election.
How did so many invalid records enter Nigeria’s electoral register, and who will be held responsible?
At a November 9 briefing, the commission disclosed that 1,608,660 invalid registrations had been removed from its 2025 and 2026 registration exercises. It separately removed 873 records belonging to verified deceased persons.
The commission also said some registration officials allegedly bypassed established procedures.
Identifying 54 officials is important. But identification is not accountability.
Have they been suspended? Have investigations been completed? Have any cases been referred for prosecution? Were the irregularities isolated incidents or part of a wider organised operation?
The commission must publish the ten affected states and provide a breakdown of the registration centres involved, while protecting legitimate voters’ personal information.
It must also explain how it will prevent genuine voters from being wrongly excluded during the clean up.
VCN demands answers
1. Which ten states were affected?
2. How many of the 54 officials have been formally investigated?
3. Have any been referred for prosecution?
4. What registration safeguards failed?
5. Was there evidence of organised attempts to manipulate voter registration?
6. What independent checks will verify the final register?
7. How can wrongly excluded voters correct their records?
INEC must publish its final register as scheduled and explain the corrective measures taken.
Removing invalid records is necessary. But Nigerians also deserve to know who compromised the process and what consequences will follow.
The credibility of the 2027 election begins with a credible voter register. INEC must prove that its clean up is genuine, independently verifiable and free from political interference.
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