By Our Reporter
The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has finalised the timetable and schedule of activities for the 2027 General Election and announced plans to conduct a comprehensive clean-up of the national register of voters to strengthen the integrity of the electoral process.
INEC Chairman, Prof. Joash Amupitan, disclosed this yesterday in Abuja during the commission’s quarterly consultative meeting with Civil Society Organisations (CSOs).
Amupitan said a credible voters’ register remains the foundation of free, fair and transparent elections, stressing that no electoral process can command public confidence without trust in the integrity of the register.
He noted that Nigeria’s national register of voters, first compiled ahead of the 2011 General Election, has been continuously updated and deployed for the 2011, 2015, 2019 and 2023 general elections, as well as several off-cycle governorship and by-elections.
According to him, the register stood at 93,469,008 voters as of the 2023 general election but continues to face persistent challenges, including duplicate and under-age registrations, registration by non-citizens, inclusion of deceased persons and incomplete or inaccurate records.
“These anomalies undermine public confidence in the electoral process,” Amupitan said, adding that INEC would embark on a nationwide voter revalidation exercise ahead of the 2027 elections.
He explained that the exercise would address concerns about voter apathy and inflated voter figures, citing the 2021 Anambra governorship election where fewer than 600,000 voters turned out from over 2.8 million registered voters.
“Sometimes, when we examine the register, we find names of prominent Nigerians who have died still on it. This, in a way, is an indictment on the register itself,” he said.
“We are going to clean up and ensure that we don’t continue to expect dead people to come from their graves to vote on election day,” the INEC chairman added.
Amupitan also provided an update on associations seeking registration as political parties, revealing that INEC received 171 letters of intent. He said the applications were assessed in line with relevant provisions of the Constitution, the Electoral Act, 2022, and the commission’s regulations and guidelines.
He noted that many of the associations failed to meet the required criteria but assured that details of successful applicants would soon be announced ahead of the 2027 polls.
On the ongoing Continuous Voter Registration (CVR), Amupitan said the second phase began on January 5 and would run until April 17, adding that the entire CVR exercise is scheduled to last one year and conclude on August 30.
Speaking at the meeting, a civil society representative, Ms. Jerry, urged INEC to ensure that citizens are motivated to exercise their civic rights and have confidence that their votes would count. She also called on the National Assembly to expedite action on the amendment of the Electoral Act.
She expressed concern that delays in amending the law could affect INEC’s preparations for the 2027 elections, urging all stakeholders to act swiftly to avoid complications.