INEC to commence nationwide voter register revalidation April 13
The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has announced that it will commence a nationwide voter register revalidation exercise on April 13, 2026, as part of efforts to update the voter database ahead of the 2027 general election.
In a letter signed by Rose Oriaran-Anthony, secretary to the commission, all Resident Electoral Commissioners (RECs) have been directed to begin necessary preparations for the exercise. These include mobilising personnel and preparing INEC Voter Enrolment Devices (IVEDs).
According to the timeline outlined in the letter, the exercise will begin at the local government area (LGA) level from April 13 to May 2. It will then move to the registration area (RA) level from May 5 to May 11, and subsequently to polling units (PUs) from May 13 to May 19. The exercise will return to the LGA level for a second phase from May 20 to May 29.
Ahead of the nationwide rollout, the commission held a training-of-trainers (ToT) workshop on March 30 at The Electoral Institute (TEI) to prepare officials for the exercise.
Speaking at the workshop, Kunle Ajayi, chairman of the institute’s board, emphasised the importance of maintaining a credible voter register, noting that “a credible election starts with a credible voter register.”
He stressed that ensuring the integrity of the register is critical ahead of the 2027 general election and urged participants—drawn from TEI master trainers as well as staff of the voter registry and ICT departments—to remain committed, adding that the success of the exercise depends on their dedication.
Earlier in February, INEC chairman Joash Amupitan explained that the revalidation exercise is necessary to address persistent issues affecting the national voters’ register. These include duplicate registrations, underage registrations, registration by non-citizens, inclusion of deceased persons, and incomplete or inaccurate voter records—challenges that have continued to undermine public confidence in the electoral process.
Amupitan noted that although the national register of voters was first compiled ahead of the 2011 general election and has been continuously updated for subsequent elections, its credibility must be periodically reinforced to reflect current realities and meet public expectations.
“As of the 2023 general election, the register stood at 93,469,008 voters. However, these anomalies continue to generate legitimate concerns,” he said.
“A credible register remains the bedrock of free, fair, and transparent elections. No electoral process can command public confidence without trust in the integrity of its voters’ register.”