The Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Prof. Joash Amupitan, has expressed serious concern over the state of Nigeria’s voter register, admitting that it has not been comprehensively cleaned since 2011, leaving the names of deceased individuals and other inaccuracies within the system.
Amupitan voiced his worry in Abuja on Thursday during the Nigeria Civil Society Situation Room National Stakeholders Forum on Elections, where he presented updates on the Continuous Voter Registration (CVR) exercise.
He revealed that despite significant progress in voter enrolment, the integrity of the register remained a major challenge that could undermine public confidence in future elections if not urgently addressed.
“I want to appeal to civil society and all stakeholders here to help mobilise citizens to take advantage of this window,” he said.
“Our voter register has not been comprehensively cleaned since 2011, meaning several names of deceased persons still appear,” he added.
Amupitan said the claims and objections period, which begins on December 15, would give citizens an opportunity to scrutinise the provisional register for errors or ineligible names before it is finalised.
To illustrate the problem, the INEC chairman disclosed that the name of “a prominent leader—known to have died many years ago—was still listed in the register” during a review in Anambra State.
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“When someone who passed away 15 years ago, known both locally and internationally, remains on the voter register, it raises concerns about credibility. Statutorily, the claims and objections window is designed to address this,” he explained.
He urged civic groups, political parties, and citizens to play an active role in the verification process, saying widespread apathy could worsen inaccuracies.
“During our review in Anambra, we assessed a register of 2.8 million voters, yet turnout suggested only about 20 per cent participation,” Amupitan lamented.
While acknowledging technological advances such as the Bimodal Voter Accreditation System (BVAS) and INEC’s Result Viewing Portal (IReV), Amupitan warned that credible elections depend not only on technology but also on accurate voter data.
“A clean register is the foundation of credible elections,” he said. “It is not enough to adopt technology; we must ensure that those on the register are living, eligible citizens.”
The INEC chief reaffirmed the Commission’s commitment to transparency, explaining that Phase Two of the CVR exercise would begin on January 5, 2026, bringing registration centres closer to communities to increase participation and accuracy.
He concluded by stressing that Nigerians must treat voter verification as their civic responsibility, adding, “Time allows human beings to solve problems. It doesn’t solve problems on its own.”