Nigeria’s electoral commission has announced that it will commence a nationwide voter register revalidation exercise on Monday, 13 April 2026, as part of preparations for the 2027 general election.
The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) disclosed this in a directive issued on Wednesday, and signed by the commission’s secretary, Rose Oriaran-Anthony.
According to the commission, all Resident Electoral Commissioners have been instructed to begin immediate preparations for the exercise, including the deployment of personnel and the readiness of voter enrolment devices.
INEC outlined a phased timetable for the revalidation. The exercise will begin at the local government level from 13 April to 2 May, before moving to registration areas from 5 May to 11 May, and then to polling units from 13 May to 19 May.
A second phase will follow at the local government level from 20 May to 29 May.
Ahead of the rollout, the commission held a training-of-trainers workshop on 30 March at its Electoral Institute to prepare officials for the exercise.
The chairman of the institute’s board, Kunle Ajayi, said the process is critical to ensuring the credibility of Nigeria’s elections.
“A credible election starts with a credible voter register,” he said, urging participants to remain committed to the exercise.
INEC chairman, Joash Amupitan, had earlier said the revalidation was necessary to address persistent challenges affecting the voter register.
These include duplicate registrations, underage voting, the inclusion of non-citizens and deceased persons, as well as incomplete or inaccurate records.
“As of the 2023 general election, the register stood at over 93 million voters. However, these anomalies continue to generate legitimate concerns,” he said.
He added that while the register has been updated over the years, its integrity must be reinforced to reflect current realities and maintain public confidence.
INEC said the exercise is aimed at strengthening transparency and ensuring that the voter register remains a reliable foundation for free and fair elections in Nigeria.
