INEC Faces FOI Request Over Removal Of 1.6 Million Voter Registrations

Liberty Semper Fidelis LP has formally petitioned the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), demanding detailed explanations and documentary evidence concerning the removal of 1,608,660 voter registrations from the National Register of Voters ahead of the 2027 general elections.

In a Freedom of Information request dated November 10, 2026, and signed by its Managing Partner, Dr Abdul Mahmud, Esq., the organisation asked INEC to disclose the breakdown of the affected registrations, the methodology used in the exercise, safeguards against wrongful disenfranchisement and details of the 54 officials reportedly identified in connection with alleged irregularities.

The organisation also sought clarification over discrepancies in the published figures, particularly the reported 873 deceased voters, insisting that transparency and accountability are essential to protecting citizens’ voting rights and sustaining public confidence in the 2027 elections.

The full statement reads;

10 November 2026.
The Chairman,
Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC),
Plot 436, Zambezi Crescent,
Maitama District,
Abuja.

Dear Sir,
APPLICATION FOR ACCESS TO INFORMATION UNDER THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT 2011; AND REQUEST FOR DISCLOSURE OF RECORDS RELATING TO THE REMOVAL OF 1,608,660 VOTER REGISTRATIONS FROM THE NATIONAL REGISTER OF VOTERS

We write pursuant to Sections 1, 2 and 4 of the Freedom of Information Act 2011 to formally request access to information, documents and records in the custody of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) concerning the reported removal of 1,608,660 voter registrations from the National Register of Voters. We are particularly concerned by the public announcement attributed to the Commission’s Chairman on 9 November 2026 concerning the removal of these registrations following an exercise reportedly undertaken to clean up the national electoral register ahead of the 2027 general elections.
The integrity of the National Register of Voters is fundamental to the credibility of elections and the constitutional right of citizens to participate in the governance of their country. While the Commission has a legitimate responsibility to identify and remove invalid registrations, the exercise must be conducted transparently, in accordance with the law and with adequate safeguards against the wrongful disenfranchisement of eligible Nigerian voters.

In the circumstances, we request access to the following information and records:

1. PARTICULARS OF THE REMOVED VOTER REGISTRATIONS

a. A comprehensive breakdown of the 1,608,660 voter registrations reportedly removed, showing the number of affected registrations by state, local government area and registration area.

b. A breakdown of the registrations removed according to the specific grounds for removal, including multiple registration, biometric duplication, fraudulent registration, invalid photographs, deceased persons and any other identified irregularities.

c. The total number of registrations removed on account of each identified category of irregularity.

d. The total number of registered voters on the National Register of Voters immediately before and after the exercise.

2. METHODOLOGY AND TECHNICAL BASIS FOR THE EXERCISE

a. Copies of the technical reports, audit reports and assessment documents upon which the Commission relied in determining that the affected registrations were invalid.

b. A description of the methodology employed by the Commission, including the use of the Automated Biometric Identification System (ABIS), in identifying and flagging allegedly invalid registrations.

c. Copies of the guidelines, operational protocols and administrative procedures governing the identification, verification and removal of allegedly invalid registrations.

d. The criteria and evidential thresholds applied in determining that a voter registration should be removed from the National Register of Voters.

e. Whether registrations flagged by the automated biometric system were subjected to human verification before removal and, if so, copies of the relevant verification protocols and records.

3. DUE PROCESS AND PROTECTION AGAINST WRONGFUL REMOVAL

a. Whether affected voters were individually notified or otherwise informed before their registrations were removed.

b. Copies of any notices, public announcements or other communications issued by the Commission concerning the removal exercise.

c. The administrative procedure established by the Commission for eligible voters who may have been wrongly classified and removed from the register to challenge such removal and secure restoration of their registrations.

d. The number of complaints or applications for reconsideration received from persons alleging wrongful removal, together with the number resolved and the outcomes.

e. Whether the Commission conducted any assessment of the potential impact of the exercise on eligible voters’ constitutional and statutory rights to participate in elections.

4. THE 873 RECORDS REPORTEDLY REMOVED ON ACCOUNT OF DEATH

a. The methodology employed in identifying the 873 registered voters reportedly classified as deceased.

b. The sources of information relied upon in establishing the deaths of the affected persons.
c. Whether the Commission independently verified the death records before removing the corresponding registrations.

d. The procedures available for correcting erroneous death classifications.

5. THE 54 INEC OFFICIALS REPORTEDLY IDENTIFIED

a. The number of officials identified in each of the ten states reportedly affected by the investigation.

b. The nature and particulars of the alleged infractions attributed to the officials.

c. Copies of the investigation reports or preliminary findings relating to the identified officials, subject to any lawful and specific exemptions under the Act.

d. Whether disciplinary proceedings have been commenced against any of the officials and the current status of such proceedings.

e. Whether any cases have been referred to law enforcement agencies for investigation or prosecution.

6. STATUTORY COMPLIANCE AND INSTITUTIONAL OVERSIGHT

a. Copies of the internal memoranda, administrative directives, and decisions authorising the exercise.

b. The legal and statutory provisions relied upon by the Commission in undertaking the removal exercise.

c. Whether the exercise was subjected to internal or independent audit and, if so, copies of the relevant audit reports.

d. The safeguards introduced by the Commission to prevent the wrongful removal of eligible voters ahead of the 2027 general elections.

7. CLARIFICATION OF THE PUBLISHED FIGURES

The public announcement attributed to the Commission reportedly identified 1,608,660 invalid registrations and 873 deceased voters’ records as having been removed. However, some published accounts appear to present these figures as separate categories, while the reported combined total is 1,609,553.
The arithmetic sum of the two figures is 1,609,533.
We therefore request clarification of the correct figures and a reconciliation of the discrepancy in the published accounts.
FORM OF ACCESS REQUESTED
Pursuant to Section 3 of the Freedom of Information Act 2011, we request that the information and documents identified above be made available electronically in PDF or other accessible digital formats and transmitted to an email address to be communicated for that purpose.
Further, and where any part of the requested information is considered exempt from disclosure under the Act, we request that the Commission identify the specific statutory provision relied upon, provide reasons for the refusal and disclose all reasonably severable portions of the relevant records.

For the avoidance of doubt, this application does not seek the personal data or identifying particulars of individual registered voters. The request is directed at institutional records, aggregate statistics, technical assessments, administrative decisions and other information necessary to understand the exercise and assess its compliance with the law.

STATUTORY TIMELINE
We draw the Commission’s attention to Section 4 of the Freedom of Information Act 2011, which requires a public institution to grant access to requested information within seven days of receiving an application or communicate a decision refusing access within the period prescribed by the Act. Should the Commission decline any part of this application, we request that it provides the specific statutory grounds for such refusal, together with the reasons required by law.
We also reserve the right to exercise the remedies available under Section 7 of the Act in the event of a refusal or failure to comply with the statutory disclosure obligations. The request is made in the public interest.

The credibility of the 2027 general elections depends, among other things, on public confidence that the National Register of Voters is accurate, transparent, free from arbitrary interference, and Nigerians are entitled to know the basis upon which more than 1.6 million voter registrations have been removed from the register and the safeguards employed to ensure that no eligible citizen is unlawfully deprived of the right to vote.

While we look forward to your response within the statutory period, please, accept the assurances of our utmost regards.

Yours faithfully,

For: Liberty Semper Fidelis LP

Dr. Abdul Mahmud, Esq
Managing Partner