INEC Invalidates 2,103 Double Voter Registrations Ahead of Ekiti Poll

The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has invalidated 2,103 cases of double voter registration in Ekiti State ahead of the governorship election scheduled for June 20.

INEC Chairman, Joash Amupitan, disclosed this on Tuesday during the commission’s second quarterly consultative meeting with leaders of political parties held at its headquarters in Abuja.

According to Amupitan, the removal of the duplicate registrations forms part of the commission’s commitment to preserving the credibility and integrity of Nigeria’s electoral process as preparations intensify for future elections, including the 2027 General Elections.

He explained that the exercise was carried out after a thorough review of the voter register, which identified individuals who registered more than once in violation of electoral regulations.

“In line with our commitment to maintaining the integrity of the register, 2,103 registrations identified as cases of double registration were invalidated,” he stated.

The INEC chairman revealed that the final register of voters for the Ekiti governorship election now stands at 1,059,360 eligible voters.

He noted that the updated figure includes 66,664 new voters who were successfully registered during the first and second phases of the Continuous Voter Registration exercise conducted by the commission.

The new registrations were added to the existing 2023 voter register, which contained 987,647 registered voters before the latest update.

Amupitan said the commission remains determined to ensure that only eligible voters participate in the election and that the voter register accurately reflects qualified citizens.

He further assured political parties and other stakeholders that preparations for the election were progressing according to schedule.

According to him, arrangements involving logistics, deployment of election technology, training of electoral personnel and security planning have reached advanced stages and are being closely monitored to ensure a smooth electoral process.

The commission also reiterated its commitment to conducting a free, fair and credible governorship election in Ekiti State.

Amupitan urged political parties, candidates and voters to comply with electoral guidelines and support efforts aimed at strengthening public confidence in the democratic process.

The invalidation of the duplicate registrations is part of broader measures by INEC to improve the quality of the voter register and prevent electoral abuses associated with multiple registrations.

The Ekiti governorship election is expected to serve as one of the major electoral exercises ahead of Nigeria’s 2027 general elections.