With the 2027 general election approaching, questions have emerged regarding the reliability of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) voter registry. Professor Joash Amupitan, the commission’s chairman, recently admitted that the database still contains the names of individuals who passed away as long as 15 years ago.
This disclosure occurred during a meeting in Abuja with Abisoye Coker-Odusote, the Director-General of the National Identity Management Commission (NIMC). Amupitan noted that maintaining such inaccurate records leads to significant financial waste, as INEC must print millions of extra ballot papers to cover discrepancies in the registry, which currently lists over 100 million entries.
To address this, INEC is partnering with the NIMC to utilize their data architecture, which covers over 136 million Nigerians. By integrating this database, the electoral commission aims to perform continuous audits, verify identities, and remove duplicate or underage entries. New online registration protocols now require the National Identification Number (NIN) to improve data integrity.
The revelation has sparked concern among public observers. Dr. Samuel Adegboye, a lecturer, warned that keeping deceased persons on the rolls facilitates electoral fraud by allowing bad actors to inflate voting figures. He urged the commission to go beyond promises and actively purge the registry of ghost names. Similar sentiments were echoed by retired civil servant Johnson Adewale and former councilor Kolade Adegboyega, who both emphasized that a cleaner registry is essential for reducing waste and minimizing opportunities for manipulation. Public commentator Jason Osazuwa expressed frustration at the systemic data issues, urging the INEC leadership to follow through on their pledge to ensure the 2027 elections are transparent and fair.
