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INEC, Nigeria’s electoral umpire retains dead governors and ministers in voters register
Houston Tx-Nigeria’s electoral umpire, the Independent National Electoral Commission has failed to clean up its voter register despite suspending the Continuous Voter Registration for 32 months, The PUNCH reports.
A check by the newspaper through INEC’s voter register showed that several notable figures, who died years ago, were still on the register despite promises by INEC to clean it up after the general elections in March 2019.
Currently, 84,004,084 Nigerians are registered to vote, while INEC is targeting an additional 20 million voters in the recently launched voter registration.
However, there are fears that the INEC register is grossly inaccurate due to the failure of the commission to remove dead persons from it.
Our correspondent observed that a former governor of Bayelsa State, Diepreye Alamieyeseigha, who died on October 10, 2015 and had Voter Identification Number 90F5AF9CA1295190857, was still registered to vote at the Agbesi open space polling unit in the Southern Ijaw Local Government Area of the state.
A former governor of Kaduna State, Patrick Yakowa, who died in a helicopter crash on December 15, 2012, is still registered to vote at the UNG Madaki polling unit, while a former Minister of Information, Prof Dora Akunyili, who died of cancer on June 7, 2014, is also registered to vote at Agulu 2 polling unit in Anambra State. Akunyili’s VIN, 90F5B162BC295703414, is still valid on the register.
The immediate past Chief of Staff to the President, Abba Kyari, who died of COVID-19 complications on April 17, 2020, is still registered to vote at the Presidential Villa/Police Affairs Commission polling unit. His VIN, 90F5B797C296828047, shows that he is still eligible to vote.
A former Minister of Women Affairs, Aisha Alhassan, popularly known as Mama Taraba, who died in May, is also registered to vote at the Lamorde Primary School polling unit, Taraba State.
INEC and the National Population Commission had in 2018 signed a Memorandum of Understanding that would see the NPC providing information of dead voters to the electoral umpire.
However, a top source at the NPC told The PUNCH that the commission did not have enough funds to identify dead people.
He, however, explained that the commission was working with INEC, the Nigeria Immigration Service and the National Identity Management Commission to identify dead Nigerians and expunge them from the government database through a new digitisation scheme.
The source, who wished to remain anonymous, said, “We just launched a digitisation programme and INEC’s issue came up, but funding is the problem. So, this digitisation process will help us mitigate the problem.
“INEC, the NIMC, Immigration and the Federal Ministry of Health are all involved in what we are planning and this issue of voter registration will be addressed.”
Also speaking with The PUNCH, INEC National Commissioner for Voter Education and Publicity, Festus Okoye, said he was aware of the development, adding that Nigeria did not have adequate data of dead people.
On why notable persons had not yet been removed from the register, Okoye said when the voter registration was suspended, INEC had planned to clean up the register, but the COVID-19 pandemic happened and the commission subsequently shifted its focus to expanding voting by creating more polling units.
He stated, “It is going to be a continuous process but our main attention is concluding the voter registration, which will take place for one year, and we will display the names of those who have been registered every quarter and then do some level of clean-up.
“It is a huge exercise, but the truth of the matter is that in this country, we don’t have reliable data on births and deaths, and when you don’t have such reliable data, this is what you have; but we will continue to appeal to Nigerians to come forward when the voter register is displayed to identify the names of dead people and those who are not supposed to be there.”
The Fédération Royale Marocaine de Football (FRMF) has defended its position following the controversial ruling by the Confederation of African Football Appeal Board over the disputed 2025 Africa Cup of Nations final.
In a statement issued on Wednesday, the Moroccan football authority said its appeal was strictly aimed at ensuring the proper application of competition rules, and not to question the sporting merit or performance of any team involved in the final.
The federation emphasized its commitment to fairness, transparency, and the stability of African football competitions, noting that its actions were guided by respect for established regulations.
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“The Federation reiterates that its approach has always been grounded in respect for the rules and stability of African competitions,” the statement read.
FRMF also praised all participating nations in the tournament, describing the 2025 AFCON as a significant milestone in the growth and development of football across the continent.
However, the body revealed that a more detailed position would be made public after a scheduled meeting of its governing organs.
The statement is expected to further clarify Morocco’s stance and outline any possible legal or administrative steps moving forward.
The CAF Appeal Board’s decision has continued to generate widespread reactions among football stakeholders, with growing calls for clearer regulations, improved transparency, and consistency in the administration of African football.
The Social Democratic Party (SDP) and the Inter-Party Advisory Council (IPAC) have disclosed details of their recent closed-door meeting with President Bola Tinubu, explaining that the engagement focused on strengthening Nigeria’s democratic process ahead of the 2027 general elections.
The clarification came amid speculation surrounding the meeting, which took place at the Presidential Villa in Abuja after leaders of several opposition parties attended an Iftar dinner hosted by the president earlier in the week.
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Speaking during a gathering hosted in Abuja by the SDP’s former presidential candidate, Adewole Adebayo on Friday, the party’s National Chairman, Prof. Sadiq Gombe, said the meeting with Tinubu followed an official invitation from the Presidency and lasted about an hour.
According to Gombe, the discussion centred on the need to strengthen Nigeria’s electoral laws and restore public confidence in the country’s electoral process ahead of the 2027 polls.
He explained that the meeting provided an opportunity for party leaders to remind the president of the importance of conducting transparent, free, and credible elections.
Gombe noted that democracy can only thrive when governments listen to the concerns of citizens and ensure electoral processes that guarantee fairness and accountability.
The SDP chairman also expressed concern over growing voter apathy, pointing to the low turnout recorded in the recent Area Council election in the Federal Capital Territory.
He said the Abuja Municipal Area Council election witnessed only about seven per cent voter turnout, which he described as a clear sign that many Nigerians are losing confidence in the electoral system.
Gombe urged the government and members of the National Assembly to take urgent steps to review electoral laws and rebuild public trust in Nigeria’s democracy.
Also speaking, the National Chairman of IPAC, Dr. Yusuf Dantalle, said political parties used the meeting to raise concerns about aspects of proposed electoral reforms, particularly issues related to indirect primaries and the mandatory electronic transmission of results.
Dantalle explained that the parties appealed to the president to use his influence to encourage legislative review where necessary, noting that reforms should strengthen, rather than complicate, the democratic process.
He expressed optimism that Tinubu would consider the concerns raised and support necessary amendments that would improve the electoral system.
The IPAC chairman also called on the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to strictly adhere to electoral guidelines as preparations for the next election cycle begin.
Earlier in his remarks, Adebayo cautioned political actors against turning the 2027 general elections into a do-or-die contest, stressing that the primary goal of democracy should be the progress and stability of Nigeria rather than personal political victories.
He urged leaders across political parties to encourage citizens to actively participate in the democratic process and ensure that elections are conducted peacefully and transparently.
President Bola Tinubu and Mr. Taiwo Oyedele during his nomination on Wednesday.
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