INEC sets December 15 deadline for final voter register
By: Oluwaseun Lawal
The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) plans to publish the final voter register on December 15, 2026, ahead of the 2027 general elections.
The commission is also reviewing concerns about photographs in the preliminary register that have been alleged to be AI-generated. INEC Chairman, Professor Joash Amupitan, said the commission would verify the claims and take corrective action where necessary.
Amupitan spoke at INEC’s South-South Zonal Interactive Meeting with staff in Port Harcourt, Rivers State. He urged eligible voters to check their details during the ongoing display, claims and objections exercise, and report any suspected errors before the register is finalised.
Public scrutiny matters, he said. It can help make the register more accurate and strengthen confidence in the process.
The South-South zone has 15,823,550 registered voters, according to Amupitan. Rivers State accounts for 3,736,434 of them. He said INEC would work to ensure eligible voters are not disenfranchised by administrative failures or logistical problems.
Preparations for the 2027 elections are also underway. INEC plans to deploy 57,000 newly procured Bimodal Voter Accreditation System (BVAS) devices and is auditing its electronic result-management systems. The review is intended to improve the transparency of result transmission through the INEC Result Viewing (IReV) portal.
Reaching voters across the South-South presents particular challenges. Creeks, coastal settlements and riverine communities can be difficult to access. To help move election staff and materials safely and on time, Amupitan said INEC had finalised a Memorandum of Understanding with the Maritime Transporters Union.
The commission is also working with security agencies through the Inter-Agency Consultative Committee on Election Security (ICCES). Amupitan called for intelligence-led planning and protection for voters, election workers and materials.
He warned that anyone who attacks or threatens electoral officials—including National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) members assigned to election duties—would face the full weight of the law. He also cautioned election staff against partisanship, negligence, absenteeism and financial misconduct, saying such actions could lead to disciplinary measures.
INEC is assessing its readiness through field engagements and reviewing lessons from recent governorship elections in Anambra, Ekiti and Osun, as well as FCT Area Council elections and 16 by-elections.
Amupitan also pointed to changes aimed at improving staff welfare. These include a Consolidated Election Management Body Salary Structure, higher salaries, hazard and field allowances, and a 150 per cent increase in monthly overhead allocations to state offices, effective July 1, 2026.
Oluwaseun Musa Lawal is an Editor at REPORTERS ROOM with over eight years of professional journalism experience. He specializes in reporting on politics, climate change, health, and education, while also covering security, economic, and judicial affairs. His work is driven by a commitment to accuracy, balanced reporting, and public-interest journalism.