The Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Prof. Joash Amupitan, has disclosed plans by the commission to leverage the National Identity Management Commission (NIMC) database to sanitise Nigeria’s voter register.
According to him, the move is aimed at removing ineligible entries, including names of deceased persons and duplicated records, in order to enhance the credibility of the electoral system.
Prof. Amupitan noted that the current voter register still contains names of Nigerians who died as far back as 2011, as well as multiple cases of duplication. He added that developing a credible and accurately quantified register would significantly reduce the cost of conducting elections.
He made these remarks while receiving the management team of NIMC, led by its Director-General, Engr. Abisoye Coker-Odusote. The INEC chairman explained that the commission currently prints election materials in excess of the over 100 million registered voters to account for discrepancies in the register.
With more than 136 million Nigerians already enrolled in the NIMC database, Amupitan said deeper integration between both agencies would enable continuous auditing, verification and elimination of duplicate or underage registrations.
He also highlighted the significance of the newly signed NIMC Act 2026, describing it as a major step toward building a more reliable electoral system anchored on verified identity, reduced duplication and stronger data integrity ahead of the 2027 general elections.
Drawing an analogy, he likened the passage of the Act to the birth of a child, noting that its signing marked the transformation of NIMC from a registration agency into a sovereign digital authority with broad relevance across sectors, including the electoral process.
The INEC boss further stated that the new law would help curb voter identity theft, impersonation and multiple registrations. He commended the National Assembly for providing the legislative backing needed to strengthen the integrity of Nigeria’s elections.
Amupitan added that INEC’s newly introduced online voter registration platform is built around the National Identification Number (NIN), describing it as a critical step toward a more efficient and seamless Continuous Voter Registration (CVR) process.