The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has integrated the National Identification Number (NIN) into its voter registration process to audit, verify and clean the national voter register ahead of the 2027 general elections.

INEC National Commissioner, Prof. Rhoda Gumus, who was representing the chairman, Joash Amupitan, disclosed this on Tuesday while receiving members of the African Union (AU) Pre-Election Needs Assessment Mission at the Commission’s headquarters in Abuja.She said the Commission was preparing to accredit and facilitate voting for a voter population rapidly approaching 100 million across 176,846 polling units, with recent off-cycle elections providing an important test of electoral reforms under the Electoral Act 2026.

What INEC is saying

Gumus said INEC had integrated NIN through its collaboration with the National Identity Management Commission (NIMC) and the continuous voter registration portal.She reaffirmed INEC’s commitment to neutrality, independence and professionalism under its chairman, Prof. Joash Amupitan, who is currently on an international assignment.

Gumus said administrative decisions would follow the law, while technical deployments would serve transparency and ensure that the outcome of the elections reflected the will of Nigerian voters. She identified digital training for ad hoc election personnel, countering election-related disinformation and deepfakes, strengthening the Election Monitoring and Support Centre, and deepening inclusivity and gender-mainstreaming frameworks as areas where AU support would be valuable.Get up to speed

INEC’s latest move comes as the Commission continues efforts to strengthen the accuracy of the voter register ahead of the 2027 elections.