The Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Prof. Joash Amupitan, has called on Nigerians to help clean up the national voters’ register as the Claims and Objections window opens on December 15.
Speaking at a stakeholders’ forum in Abuja on Thursday, Amupitan warned that elections cannot be credible “if the register remains filled with the names of people who have died, moved, or are otherwise ineligible.”
He said many citizens ignore the public display of the provisional register, allowing errors and duplications to persist. “If we cannot clean up our register, we cannot claim credibility,” he said.
“INEC cannot do it alone—we need CSOs, community leaders, and the Media to mobilize Nigerians.”
INEC recorded 2.68 million registrations in the first phase of the Continuous Voter Registration (CVR), which ended December 10. States such as Osun, Kano, Sokoto, Imo, Borno, and Lagos led in turnout.
Phase 2 begins January 5, with more registration centres to be moved closer to communities to ease access.
Amupitan also highlighted preparations for the February 21, 2026, FCT Area Council elections, technical challenges with real-time result uploads, and ongoing efforts with telecom providers to improve network reliability for BVAS and IReV systems.
On voter apathy, he cited the Anambra governorship election, where a five-day extension for PVC collection boosted turnout and pushed collection to 98.8%.
He also described vote buying as a major threat, confirming that INEC has asked law enforcement agencies for updates on related arrests.
He reminded stakeholders that democracy “is not an event but a cultural process,” urging citizens to take ownership of the system.
“With the Claims and Objections starting on December 15, this is the time for Nigerians to act,” he said. “Let us seize this opportunity to clean our register and strengthen our elections.”
