The Independent National Electoral Commission has announced that it will begin a nationwide voter revalidation exercise on April 13, 2026, in what it describes as a critical step to clean up Nigeria’s voter register and safeguard the integrity of future elections.
In a public notice, the commission said the exercise is aimed at reviewing and updating the national register of voters to remove ineligible entries, including those of deceased persons, underage registrants, non-Nigerians and cases of multiple registrations, in line with existing electoral laws.The exercise will run in phases across the country and is scheduled to end on May 29, 2026.
INEC clarified that the process is not a fresh registration but is specifically targeted at Nigerians who registered between 2011 and 2024.
Eligible voters are expected to confirm and validate their records to ensure their continued eligibility to vote.
According to the timetable released by the commission, revalidation will first take place at Local Government Area offices from April 13 to May 2, followed by Registration Area centres from May 5 to May 11.The process will then move to polling units between May 13 and May 19, before returning to LGAs for a final phase from May 20 to May 29.
Activities will run daily from 9am to 3pm, including weekends and public holidays.
The commission said the exercise will be conducted both online and physically.For the online option, voters are required to visit the official portal, create an account and provide their Voter Identification Number or personal details. The system will carry out biometric verification using facial recognition, after which the data will be checked against the central voter database.
Successful applicants will receive a confirmation slip and notification message.
For in-person revalidation, voters are to visit designated INEC centres nationwide, where officials will carry out biometric verification and confirm identities against the central database.
Any necessary corrections to personal information can be made during the process, and a printout will be issued upon completion, alongside notification via email or phone where available.INEC said the exercise forms part of broader efforts to strengthen the credibility, accuracy and inclusiveness of Nigeria’s electoral system ahead of future polls.
It warned that failure to participate could leave affected individuals at risk of losing their voting eligibility if their records are found to be incomplete or invalid during the clean-up process.
The commission urged all eligible voters to take advantage of the exercise within the stipulated period, stressing that early participation would help avoid last-minute complications and ensure that their names remain on the register.
