The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has removed 7,746 deceased voters from Nigeria’s national voter register, as confirmed by its Voter Education and Publicity Director, Victoria Etta-Messi. This update reflects ongoing efforts to maintain the integrity of the electoral process across the 36 states and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT).
Speaking on Thursday, Etta-Messi revealed, “Seven thousand, seven hundred and forty-six deceased persons across the 36 states and the FCT were removed from the National Register of Voters as of December 2022.”
Challenges in Maintaining a Credible Voter Register
INEC conducts periodic clean-ups of the voter register before general elections, including the most recent review in December 2024, following the 2023 polls. However, maintaining an accurate voter database remains a significant challenge, largely due to gaps in official death records in Nigeria.
“Problems with official death records continue to make it very difficult for INEC to remove deceased registrants,” the commission noted in its review.
Additionally, the commission faced issues with duplicate registrations. Using the Automated Biometric Identification System (ABIS), INEC successfully identified and removed 2.8 million invalid entries—constituting approximately 22.6% of new registrations during the 2023 voter registration exercise.
A worrying trend highlighted by INEC is the declining voter turnout. During the 2023 presidential and National Assembly elections, only 27.5% of registered voters participated, a significant drop from the 35.6% turnout recorded in 2019.
Experts suggest that an inflated voter register, including names of deceased persons and individuals who have relocated, might be contributing to this decline.
To address these challenges, INEC has proposed stronger collaboration with government agencies, such as the National Population Commission (NPC) and the National Identity Management Commission (NIMC), to improve the identification and removal of deceased voters from the register.
The commission is also considering more innovative measures, including the suspension of individuals who have not participated in three consecutive elections. Such voters would be required to revalidate their registration to remain on the voter list.
INEC’s efforts to sanitise the voter register are a step toward fostering greater confidence in Nigeria’s electoral system. However, achieving a truly credible voter database will require addressing systemic challenges, including the lack of comprehensive death records and enhancing inter-agency collaboration.