Dead, Underage Voters Exposed! Yiaga Africa Rejects INEC’s 1.5 Million Clean-Up Claim, Demands Independent Audit Of Voters’ Register Ahead Of 2027 Election!
By Passman Akpos
Nigeria’s electoral credibility has come under fresh scrutiny following revelations by Yiaga Africa that the irregularities embedded in the national voters’ register may be significantly greater than the 1.5 million questionable registration records recently identified by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).
The civil society organisation, which has been monitoring Nigeria’s electoral processes, has rejected the impression that INEC’s ongoing clean-up exercise has sufficiently addressed the problems affecting the country’s voters’ database, insisting that a comprehensive and independent audit is necessary to establish the true state of the register ahead of the 2027 general elections.
Executive Director of Yiaga Africa, Samson Itodo, raised the alarm on Thursday during an interview on ARISE TV, responding to comments by INEC spokesperson Lawrence Bayode, who disclosed during an appearance on Channels Television that some registration officials allegedly exploited their access to the commission’s registration platform to introduce 1,545,052 irregularities into the national voter database.
However, Itodo maintained that the figure announced by INEC does not represent the full extent of the problems, revealing that Yiaga Africa had been auditing Nigeria’s voters’ register since 2018, beginning with Edo and Bayelsa states.
According to him, the organisation discovered several questionable records, including duplicated registrations, deceased persons still appearing on the register, multiple registrations, underage voters and other administrative irregularities capable of undermining the credibility of elections.
“We found duplications, dead persons on the register (which INEC also admitted), multiple registrants, underage registrants, and other errors you’ll find on the register,” Itodo stated.
He further argued that the existence of these irregularities raises fundamental questions about the reliability of the voters’ register, warning that the database released by INEC, whether recently or in previous election cycles, does not necessarily reflect the full extent of the problems.
The Yiaga Africa executive director also questioned the timing of INEC’s proposed voter revalidation exercise, arguing that the process should have commenced immediately after the 2023 general elections rather than being introduced so close to the 2027 electoral cycle.
He warned that undertaking such an extensive exercise within the limited period remaining before the next general elections could create unnecessary complications, suggesting that a comprehensive revalidation exercise should instead be conducted after the 2027 elections.
Meanwhile, INEC Chairman, Joash Amupitan, had on Wednesday announced that more than 1.27 million out of the 1.5 million questionable voter registration records identified by the commission had been confirmed invalid and removed from the national register.
Amupitan also disclosed that the commission was continuing its clean-up operations ahead of the release of the final voters’ register scheduled for December 15.
However, Yiaga Africa insists that Nigerians should not be expected to accept the commission’s assurances without an independent verification process, particularly given the existing public distrust surrounding the electoral system.
Itodo maintained that although INEC may have removed the questionable records it identified, the credibility of the exercise must be established through transparent scrutiny involving independent stakeholders.
“Even if INEC has eliminated 1.5 million registered voters, in this climate of distrust, the public would want a situation where there is an independent review to really confirm that some of these irregularities have been resolved,” he said.
He explained that calls for an independent audit were becoming increasingly necessary because Nigerians needed convincing evidence that the electoral commission had genuinely addressed the identified problems rather than simply announcing figures without sufficient public verification.
According to him, the commission’s clean-up exercise must be subjected to public scrutiny to restore confidence in the electoral process.
The development has reignited concerns about the integrity of Nigeria’s electoral database, particularly as political parties and aspirants begin positioning themselves ahead of the 2027 elections.
The presence of deceased persons, underage registrants, multiple registrations and other questionable entries in a national voters’ register raises serious questions about the effectiveness of INEC’s registration, verification and monitoring mechanisms.
For millions of Nigerians who expect credible elections in 2027, the controversy goes beyond the removal of 1.5 million questionable records. It raises a bigger question: Can Nigerians trust the voters’ register that will determine the outcome of the next presidential and governorship elections?
As pressure mounts, INEC faces the challenge of demonstrating, through transparency and independently verifiable evidence, that its ongoing clean-up exercise is capable of protecting the credibility of Nigeria’s electoral system.
The ultimate responsibility lies with the electoral commission to ensure that every eligible Nigerian has the right to vote while deceased persons, underage registrants, duplicate entries and fraudulent registrations are completely eliminated from the system.
