The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has announced a massive purge of over 1.6 million invalid records from the national preliminary voter register ahead of the 2027 general elections, while also addressing growing public concerns regarding delays in the printing and distribution of Permanent Voter Cards (PVCs) for citizens registered during the third phase of the Continuous Voter Registration (CVR) exercise.
​Speaking at a media and stakeholders briefing on Monday morning, November 9, 2026, at the INEC National Headquarters in Maitama, Abuja, the National Commissioner and Chairman of the Information and Voter Education Committee, Sam Olumekun, detailed the outcome of the Commission’s automated and administrative clean-up protocols.
​Out of 2,970,257 total registrants recorded during the Phase III CVR exercise, which ran from May 11 to July 2026, approximately 1.6 million entries were flagged as invalid and subsequently removed. The sweeping audit followed the public display and scrutiny of the preliminary register conducted between October 9 and October 15, 2026, across registration centers nationwide.
​During the audit, the Commission relied heavily on the Automated Biometric Identification System (ABIS) screening to uncover extensive double and multiple registrations, underage entries, and incomplete biometric data capture.
Following claims and objections raised during the public display period, 268,000 flagged entries underwent formal administrative review. Of those reviewed records, 217,722 were confirmed invalid and removed, while 50,278 legitimate records were successfully cleared and restored to the database.
In response to these voter registration irregularities, INEC has identified 54 registration personnel across 10 states for disciplinary action and potential prosecution.
​Addressing the delay in producing PVCs for Phase III registrants, Olumekun explained that card printing could not commence until the mandatory de-duplication, public display, and adjudication procedures were fully concluded.
Printing Permanent Voter Cards prior to verifying the register through automated biometric matching and public claims would lead to severe resource waste and compromise the integrity of the voter roll, Olumekun stated, adding that card production for all legitimate Phase III registrants is now actively underway following the completion of the clean-up process.
​The Commission assured the public that robust mechanisms, including mandatory physical presence and biometric authentication via the Bimodal Voter Accreditation System (BVAS), remain in place to safeguard the upcoming 2027 polls. INEC Chairman, Prof. Joash Amupitan, previously confirmed during an operational readiness assessment in Lokoja, Kogi State, that all election staff on leave have been recalled.
The final certified Register of Voters for the 2027 general elections is scheduled for official publication on December 15, 2026, with collection schedules and designated pick-up locations for Phase III PVCs set to be published across state offices and online portals shortly thereafter.
