As Nigeria prepares for the 2027 general elections, concerns have continued to grow over the credibility of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) voter register after the commission confirmed that the names of many deceased persons are still on the list.
The issue came to public attention after INEC Chairman, Professor Joash Amupitan, disclosed the development during a meeting with the leadership of the National Identity Management Commission (NIMC) in Abuja.
According to the INEC chairman, some of the names still appearing on the register belong to people who died as far back as 15 years ago. He explained that the commission has begun working with NIMC to clean up the database by using the agency’s identity records to remove deceased persons and improve the accuracy of the register before the next general election.
Amupitan said the partnership would also reduce the cost of elections. He noted that INEC currently prepares election materials based on more than 100 million registered voters, even though some of those records no longer reflect the actual voting population. He added that the commission’s online voter registration platform now relies on the National Identification Number for identity verification, making it easier to detect errors, duplicate records and other irregularities.
The INEC chairman also said the recently signed NIMC Act 2026 provides a stronger legal foundation for better identity management and electoral planning. He expressed confidence that the growing NIMC database, which now covers over 136 million Nigerians, would support regular updates and verification of voter information.
NIMC Director-General Abisoye Coker-Odusote assured the commission of the agency’s support, saying reliable identity records remain necessary for credible elections and effective governance. She said closer cooperation between both agencies would help improve the integrity of the electoral process.
The disclosure has attracted reactions from Nigerians who believe the voter register must be cleaned before the 2027 elections. A university lecturer, Dr. Samuel Adegboye, said keeping the names of dead people on the register could create opportunities for electoral malpractice. He added that removing such names would improve public confidence in future elections and called on INEC to also identify and remove ghost voters from the database.
A retired civil servant, Johnson Adewale, said correcting the register would help reduce waste during elections by ensuring that only the required number of ballot papers and other election materials are produced. He also said a more accurate register would make it harder for election figures to be manipulated.
Former local government councillor Kolade Adegboyega welcomed the collaboration between INEC and NIMC but urged the electoral body to complete the exercise before the next election cycle. He said Nigerians expect practical action that will improve the credibility of future elections.
Lawyer and public affairs commentator Jason Osazuwa also described the situation as troubling, saying the country must improve the way it manages public records. He urged INEC to follow through on its plan to update the voter register so that future elections are conducted with greater transparency and public trust.