INEC Discovers Deceased Persons on Voters' Register, Announces Nationwide Verification Exercise

The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) in Nigeria has uncovered deceased individuals on the current voter register, prompting a plan for a nationwide verification exercise to ensure a clean registry and enhance public trust in the electoral process. INEC Chairman, Prof.

Joash Amupitan, disclosed this development during the commission's quarterly engagement with civil society organizations. The discovery was made during a review of voter data following recent elections.

Anambra State's voter turnout during the off-cycle governorship election in November revealed irregularities, with only 20% of registered voters participating. The commission aims to remove ineligible names and correct errors in the database to ensure the credibility of elections.

INEC emphasized the importance of an accurate voter register for a reliable electoral process and announced collaboration with relevant agencies to verify records and eliminate the names of deceased individuals.