The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) will commence a nationwide voter revalidation exercise on April 13, 2026, as part of efforts to update the voter register ahead of the 2027 general election.
INEC disclosed this in a letter signed by Rose Oriaran-Anthony, secretary to the commission, directing all resident electoral commissioners (RECs) to begin preparations for the exercise.
The commission asked officials to mobilise personnel and ensure the readiness of INEC voter enrolment devices (IVED) for the exercise.
According to the timeline, the exercise will begin at the local government area (LGA) level from April 13 to May 2.
It will then move to the registration area (RA) level from May 5 to May 11, before proceeding to polling units (PUs) from May 13 to May 19.
INEC said the exercise will return to the LGA level for a second phase from May 20 to May 29.
Ahead of the rollout, the commission on March 30 held a training-of-trainers workshop at the Electoral Institute (TEI) to prepare officials.
Kunle Ajayi, chairman of the institute’s board, said the exercise is critical to ensuring credible elections.
“A credible election starts with a credible voter register,” he said.
He urged participants to remain committed, noting that the success of the exercise depends on their performance.
INEC chairman, Joash Amupitan, had earlier said the revalidation is necessary to address anomalies in the voter register.
He listed the challenges to include duplicate and underage registrations, registration by non-citizens, inclusion of deceased persons, and inaccurate voter records.
Amupitan said the register, first compiled for the 2011 general election, has been updated over time but still requires periodic review.
“As of the 2023 general election, the register stood at 93,469,008 voters. However, these anomalies continue to raise concerns,” he said.
He added that a credible voter register remains essential for free, fair, and transparent elections.
