INEC Confirms Voter Registration Manipulation, Promises Action Against Offenders

The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has confirmed that some officials may have manipulated the voter registration system. This follows the discovery of more than 1.5 million questionable registration records. INEC has warned that officials found responsible will face serious consequences.

Dr. Lawrence Bayode, the Commission’s Director of Information and Communication Technology, shared these findings during an interview on Channels Television. He stated that some registration officials allegedly misused their access to the registration system to introduce irregularities into the national voter database.

Bayode described the situation as both disturbing and embarrassing for the Commission. He explained that the manipulation was not limited to just a few areas, as it had been found in multiple states. The Commission used a system that checks fingerprints and facial recognition to review over 11 million registrations from the 2026 Continuous Voter Registration exercise. This system flagged about 1.5 million records for issues like suspected multiple registrations.

While some flagged records have already been removed, around 268,000 remain under review to confirm their authenticity. Bayode clarified that not all flagged records could be dismissed right away, as human verification is needed to determine if they are truly fraudulent.

Some of the questionable registrations were allegedly created by officials taking advantage of a special registration process meant for people with disabilities. This process allows individuals without complete fingerprints to register differently, but some officials reportedly abused this system to create fake voter profiles.

Bayode also pointed out that there were cases of identical photos being used for different voter profiles, and some images were taken from calendars or picture frames. He noted that while some genuine registrants might have enhanced their photos using technology, this should not automatically label them as fraudulent.

He expressed disappointment over the manipulation, stating that some officials exploited weaknesses in the registration system instead of reporting them. INEC has already revoked access for the officials under investigation. Bayode emphasized the importance of gathering enough evidence before taking further action, as he wants to avoid wrongly implicating innocent officials.

Looking ahead, Bayode warned that if the irregularities are not addressed before the final voter register is approved, they could be used to manipulate elections. He reassured the public that INEC is committed to ensuring a credible electoral process for the 2027 general election and is working to clean up the voter register before the deadline.