Jane Salihu
The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has unveiled plans to leverage Nigeria’s strengthened digital identity system to eliminate duplicate, underage and ineligible entries from the national voter register, describing the initiative as a major step towards delivering more credible elections in 2027.
INEC Chairman, Prof. Joash Amupitan, disclosed this in Abuja while receiving the Director-General of the National Identity Management Commission (NIMC), Engr. Abisoye Coker-Odusote, and her management team during a courtesy visit to the Commission’s headquarters.
According to him, the recently enacted NIMC Act 2026 has created a legal framework that will deepen collaboration between both institutions, enabling seamless identity verification and improving the integrity of Nigeria’s electoral database.
Amupitan explained that the Commission’s online Continuous Voter Registration (CVR) platform has already been integrated with the National Identification Number (NIN), making identity verification a central requirement in the voter registration process.
He said the partnership would enable INEC to carry out continuous audits of its register using NIMC’s expanding database, which currently contains the records of over 136 million Nigerians, thereby making it easier to detect duplicate registrations, underage entries and other irregularities.
The INEC Chairman disclosed that the Commission still retains records of deceased voters dating back to 2011, a development he said underscores the urgent need for stronger data integration between the two agencies.
He noted that maintaining a more accurate voter register would not only enhance public confidence in elections but also reduce the cost of conducting polls, as election materials are often printed above the actual number of eligible voters because of inconsistencies in the register.
Amupitan further revealed that provisions under Section 18 of the Electoral Act now allow eligible voters whose Permanent Voter Cards (PVCs) are damaged, defaced or lost to obtain replacements, including printable PVCs where applications are made at least 90 days before an election, to prevent eligible citizens from being disenfranchised.
He also stressed the need for careful regulation of emerging technologies, particularly Artificial Intelligence (AI), saying while the technology offers enormous opportunities for improving electoral administration, adequate safeguards must be put in place to protect the integrity of election data.
Describing the new legal framework as a turning point for Nigeria’s identity management architecture, the INEC Chairman commended the leadership of NIMC for pursuing the reforms that culminated in the signing of the new Act into law, adding that technical teams from both organisations had already commenced work on areas of collaboration ahead of the 2027 general election.
Earlier, NIMC Director-General, Engr. Abisoye Coker-Odusote, informed the Commission that President Bola Ahmed Tinubu signed the NIMC Act 2026 into law on June 26, 2026, following nearly two decades of legislative efforts.
She explained that the legislation redefines NIMC as Nigeria’s root authority for Public Key Infrastructure (PKI) and the custodian of the country’s digital public infrastructure, noting that a trusted digital identity system remains fundamental to transparent governance and credible elections.
She assured INEC of the Commission’s full support in strengthening identity verification processes to ensure a transparent and credible electoral process in 2027.
