Dead voters still on register’ — INEC admits credibility gaps ahead of 2027 polls

. Partners NIMC for clean-up

The Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, has admitted that names of deceased Nigerians dating back 15 years are still on the national voters’ register, raising fresh questions about the credibility and cost of the 2027 general election.

INEC Chairman, Professor Joash Amupitan, made the disclosure on Wednesday in Abuja during a visit by the Director-General of the National Identity Management Commission, NIMC, Abisoye Coker-Odusote and her team.

Amupitan said INEC has entered a partnership with NIMC to use the Commission’s data architecture to “progressively clean up” the register ahead of next year’s polls.

He noted that a credible and well-quantified voter register would cut down election costs significantly. According to him, INEC currently prints election materials in excess of its over 100 million registered entries to cover discrepancies.

“The newly signed NIMC Act 2026 lays the foundation for a new electoral system in Nigeria built on verified identity and stronger data integrity,” Amupitan said.

He expressed optimism that with NIMC’s database now covering more than 136 million enrolled Nigerians, deeper integration between both agencies would enable continuous auditing, verification, and removal of duplicate and underage entries.

He added that INEC’s new online Continuous Voter Registration (CVR, platform will be anchored on the National Identification Number, NIN, as a verification protocol.

Amupitan also warned of identity-related risks, saying voter identity “could easily be stolen, easily impersonated and easily duplicated” if the register is not cleaned.

Coker-Odusote assured that identity remains “the foundation of effective governance and credible election planning,” pledging NIMC’s full support for a fair and transparent 2027 election.

The INEC boss’s admission has reinforced concerns many Nigerians have raised about the register.

University lecturer Dr. Samuel Adegboye said the presence of dead persons’ names creates room for manipulation.

“With the names of dead persons in the voter register, it becomes very easy for politicians to inflate figures at the end of the day. And such politicians work in cahoots with some INEC officials,” he alleged.

He commended Amupitan for the honesty but urged action.

“Let it not just end in rhetoric; let him back it up with action as he has promised. Such dead persons’ names should be weeded out of the register. That way, rigging will be maximally reduced,” Adegboye said.

He also called for ghost voters to be tackled alongside dead names, citing Nigeria’s history with “ghost workers” and even “ghost agencies.”

Retired civil servant Johnson Adewale said a clean register would save money and reduce errors.

“For instance, what use will it be to print 10 million voters’ cards when the actual number of voters is five million? It amounts to a waste of materials and money,” he stated.

He added that politicians can inflate results more easily when INEC works with flawed data.

Former Amuwo-Odofin councillor, Kolade Adegboyega, said Nigerians are tired of promises.

“His move to collaborate with NIMC to clean up the voter register is a welcome development because once you don’t have a credible register, the credibility of the entire process becomes questionable,” he said.

Lawyer and public affairs commentator Jason Osazuwa described the situation as “shameful.”

“It is shameful that at this age and time, we are talking about having names of dead persons in our voter register. I only want the INEC boss to live up to his words,” Osazuwa said.

INEC says the NIMC partnership will focus on continuous verification to eliminate dead, duplicate, and underage entries before the 2027 elections.

Amupitan did not state how many deceased persons are currently on the register.

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