INEC to Begin Nationwide Voter Revalidation Ahead of 2027 General Election
Oru Leonard
The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), has announced plans to conduct a nationwide voter revalidation exercise ahead of the 2027 General Election to clean up Nigeria’s voters’ register and strengthen public confidence in the electoral process.
INEC Chairman, Prof. Joash Amupitan, SAN, disclosed this on Wednesday during the Commission’s first quarterly consultative meeting with Civil Society Organisations (CSOs) held at the INEC Conference Room in Abuja.
According to Amupitan, the exercise has become necessary due to persistent challenges such as duplicate registrations, underage registration, inclusion of deceased persons and non-citizens on the voters’ register.
“As of the 2023 General Election, the register stood at 93,469,008 voters. However, these anomalies undermine public confidence in the electoral process. The Commission will therefore embark on a thorough clean-up through a nationwide voter revalidation exercise ahead of 2027,” he said.
2027 Election Timetable Ready
The INEC Chairman also revealed that the timetable and schedule of activities for the 2027 General Election have been finalised in line with the Constitution and the Electoral Act, 2022, but noted that the Commission was awaiting the completion of ongoing amendments to the Electoral Act by the National Assembly.
He urged CSOs to support INEC by engaging lawmakers to fast-track the amendment process.
Amupitan confirmed that the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Area Council Elections will take place on Saturday, February 21, 2026, involving over 1.68 million registered voters across 2,822 polling units in six area councils.
He said preparations were on track, with non-sensitive materials delivered, ad hoc staff recruited and trained, BVAS devices being configured, and sensitive materials scheduled for delivery a day before the polls.
INEC will also conduct a mock accreditation exercise on February 7 in 289 selected polling units across the FCT
The Commission will also conduct bye-elections on February 21 in Ahoada East II and Khana II State Constituencies of Rivers State, as well as Kano Municipal and Ungogo State Constituencies in Kano State, following the resignation and death of sitting lawmakers.
Amupitan reiterated that the Ekiti State governorship election will hold on June 20, 2026, while the Osun State governorship election is scheduled for August 8, 2026.
On voter registration, the INEC boss disclosed that 2,782,589 eligible voters were registered during the first phase of the Continuous Voter Registration (CVR) exercise, with the second phase running from January 5 to April 17, 2026.
He added that the CVR exercise would end on August 30, 2026, noting that weekly registration data are published on INEC’s website for transparency.
171 Applications for Party Registration
Amupitan also announced that INEC received 171 applications from associations seeking registration as political parties, stressing that only those that meet constitutional and legal requirements would be approved. Successful applicants, he said, would be announced soon.
The INEC Chairman urged residents of the FCT to collect their Permanent Voter Cards (PVCs) before the February 10 deadline to avoid disenfranchisement.
He further called on political parties and supporters to avoid hate speech, vote buying, misinformation and violence during campaigns, while urging CSOs to intensify civic education and promote gender inclusion amid rising voter apathy.
“As we look towards the 2027 General Elections, vigilance and collaboration remain critical to delivering credible, inclusive and transparent elections,” Amupitan said.
