INEC Sh*cked As Dead Nigerians’ Names Surface On Voters’ Register

The commission has also announced plans to undertake a nationwide cleanup of the register.

This revelation was made in Abuja on February 4, 2026, by the INEC Chairman, Prof. Joash Amupitan, during the commission’s first quarterly engagement with Civil Society Organisations.

Amupitan explained that an internal assessment of the voters register revealed that individuals who died long ago are still recorded as eligible voters. He noted that this development raises serious concerns about the integrity and reliability of the register used for elections.

According to him, INEC is set to launch a comprehensive verification exercise across the country to eliminate names that no longer belong on the register. The goal is to ensure that only qualified, living citizens remain captured in the electoral database.

He cited the Anambra State off-cycle governorship election held in November as an example. INEC observed that although the state had over 2.9 million registered voters, only about 600,000 participated, representing roughly 20 percent turnout.

Following the low participation, the commission reviewed the register and discovered that the names of prominent Nigerian politicians who are already deceased were still present.

Amupitan stressed that such irregularities undermine public confidence in the voters register, making the cleanup exercise essential, since dead persons cannot legitimately participate in elections.

The INEC chairman further disclosed that preparations for the 2027 general elections are already underway. He added that while the election timetable has been drafted, its release has been delayed due to proposed amendments to the Electoral Act, which may impact the schedule.