The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has approved a nationwide voter revalidation exercise aimed at strengthening the credibility of Nigeria’s voter register ahead of future elections.
The decision followed high-level discussions during a strategic retreat in Lagos, where the need for a more reliable and transparent voter database was prioritised.
The Secretary to the Commission, Rose Oriaran-Anthony, confirmed the development in a memo to Resident Electoral Commissioners (RECs), explaining that the exercise will be accessible both online and at designated centres across Local Government Areas, Registration Areas, and Polling Units nationwide.
She noted that the process “will be conducted both online and at designated centres at Local Government Area LGA, Registration Area RA and Polling Unit PU levels nationwide.”
To support the exercise, INEC will deploy its Voter Enrollment Devices (IVEDs), with units distributed across LGAs, Registration Areas, and Polling Units to ensure wide coverage.
The commission plans to engage a mix of permanent staff and members of the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC), with two personnel assigned to each device to assist citizens during the process.
INEC has also directed its regional offices to begin logistical preparations, including staffing and equipment readiness, while further details on the official start date are expected to be announced soon.
Meanwhile, INEC Chairman Joash Amupitan stressed the importance of maintaining the integrity of the over 93 million registered voters, highlighting ongoing issues such as duplicate entries, underage registrations, and records of deceased persons.
“Persistent challenges – including duplicate registrations, underage registration, registration by non-citizens, deceased voters and incomplete or inaccurate records – continue to generate legitimate concerns,” he said.
He added that the exercise will serve as a clean-up process to eliminate such irregularities and improve public trust ahead of the 2027 general elections.
