2027: INEC to clean up voters’ register, seeks CSOs’ support

The Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, has announced plans to embark on a nationwide voter revalidation exercise ahead of the 2027 General Election, as part of efforts to sanitise Nigeria’s voters’ register and strengthen public confidence in the electoral process.

The INEC Chairman, Prof. Joash Amupitan, SAN, disclosed this on Wednesday in Abuja during the Commission’s first quarterly consultative meeting with Civil Society Organisations (CSOs).

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Amupitan said a credible voters’ register remained the bedrock of free, fair and transparent elections, noting that the current register, which stood at 93,469,008 voters as of the 2023 General Election, still faced challenges such as duplicate and under-age registrations, inclusion of non-citizens, deceased voters and inaccurate records.

According to him, these anomalies undermine public trust in the electoral process, adding that the Commission would undertake a comprehensive clean-up of the register ahead of the 2027 polls.

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He, therefore, called on civil society organisations to support the exercise through advocacy, voter education and public sensitisation, stressing that safeguarding Nigeria’s democracy was a collective responsibility.

The INEC chairman also reviewed the conduct of the Anambra State off-cycle governorship election held on November 8, 2025, describing it as credible, inclusive and transparent. He said the poll involved candidates from 16 political parties and over 2.8 million registered voters across 5,718 polling units, and noted that the deployment of sign language interpreters marked a major step in promoting inclusivity for voters with disabilities.

On upcoming elections, Amupitan said preparations were in top gear for the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Area Council elections scheduled for Saturday, February 21, 2026, involving 1,680,315 registered voters across 2,822 polling units in the six area councils.

He disclosed that non-sensitive materials had been delivered, ad hoc personnel recruited and undergoing training, while BVAS devices were being configured for accreditation and upload of results to the IReV portal. He added that sensitive materials would be delivered a day before the election and that a mock accreditation exercise would be conducted on February 7, 2026, in 289 selected polling units.

Amupitan said 83 domestic and five foreign observers had been accredited for the polls, adding that INEC had also deployed targeted sensitisation programmes and specialised resources to support voters with disabilities.

He further announced that bye-elections would hold on the same day in Ahoada East II and Khana II State Constituencies of Rivers State, as well as in Kano Municipal and Ungogo State Constituencies of Kano State, following vacancies created by the resignation and death of serving lawmakers.

In Rivers State, he said 41,085 registered voters would vote in 87 polling units in Ahoada East II, while 71,865 voters are expected to participate in the Khana II election across 155 polling units. In Kano State, 330,228 voters will vote in 630 polling units in Kano Municipal, while 205,418 voters will vote in 384 polling units in Ungogo constituency, with 10 political parties participating in both contests.

On governorship elections, the INEC boss confirmed that the Ekiti State governorship poll would hold on June 20, 2026, while the Osun State governorship election is scheduled for August 8, 2026, with several activities in the respective timetables already completed.

He also said the timetable and schedule of activities for the 2027 General Election had been finalised in line with the Constitution and the Electoral Act, 2022, but urged CSOs to support calls on the National Assembly to expedite action on the ongoing amendment of the Electoral Act.

Speaking on the ongoing Continuous Voter Registration (CVR), Amupitan said 2,782,589 eligible voters were registered during the first phase of the exercise, adding that the second phase would run until April 17, 2026, while the entire exercise would be concluded on August 30, 2026.

He also appealed to residents of the FCT to collect their Permanent Voter Cards (PVCs) before the February 10, 2026 deadline to avoid disenfranchisement.

Responding on behalf of the CSOs, Grace Jerry pledged the continued support of civil society to INEC in strengthening democracy and ensuring credible elections.

She said CSOs would intensify voter sensitisation, deploy observers for the FCT Area Council elections and work with communities to promote peaceful participation in the polls.

However, she raised concerns over delays by the National Assembly in amending the Electoral Act, warning that such delays could affect preparations for the 2027 General Election.

“As stakeholders, we all have a critical role to play to ensure that the 2027 election happens seamlessly and without challenges,” she said.

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