Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Prof. Joash Amupitan, has disclosed that a recent review of Nigeria’s voters register uncovered the names of several deceased Nigerians still appearing on the electoral roll.
Amupitan made the revelation on Wednesday during INEC’s first quarterly meeting with Civil Society Organisations, noting that the discovery has raised serious concerns about the credibility of the country’s electoral database.
According to him, the commission is set to embark on a nationwide verification exercise aimed at sanitising the voters register by identifying and removing ineligible entries.
The INEC chairman cited the Anambra State off-cycle governorship election held in November as a key example. He revealed that while the state recorded over 2.9 million registered voters, only about 600,000 participated in the poll — representing roughly 20 percent voter turnout.
“Following the election, we took a closer look at the register and discovered that names of prominent Nigerian politicians who have died were still listed,” Amupitan said. “This clearly undermines the integrity of the register. We do not expect the dead to come out of their graves to vote, so a cleanup is inevitable.”
He stressed that removing such anomalies is critical to restoring public confidence in the electoral process and ensuring credible elections.
Amupitan also disclosed that the timetable for the 2027 general elections has been completed. However, its release is currently on hold due to ongoing amendments to the Electoral Act, which could necessitate adjustments to the schedule.
The planned verification exercise, he said, underscores INEC’s commitment to electoral transparency and reform ahead of future polls.
