The Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Prof. Joash Amupitan (SAN), has said the newly enacted National Identity Management Commission (NIMC) Act 2026 will transform Nigeria’s electoral process by strengthening voter identity verification, eliminating duplicate registrations and improving the integrity of the voter register ahead of the 2027 General Election.
Amupitan stated this on Wednesday at the INEC headquarters in Abuja while receiving the Director-General of the National Identity Management Commission (NIMC), Engr. Abisoye Coker-Odusote, and her management team during a courtesy visit.
He described the enactment of the law as a historic milestone after nearly two decades of legislative efforts, saying it marks NIMC’s transition from a registration agency to a sovereign digital authority with responsibilities extending to governance, commerce, land administration and Nigeria’s electoral system.
According to the INEC chairman, identity-related challenges such as impersonation, identity theft and duplicate voter registrations have continued to undermine electoral integrity, expressing confidence that the new legal framework would significantly improve the Commission’s ability to detect and eliminate such irregularities.
Amupitan recalled advocating stronger identity safeguards before the Senate and commended the National Assembly for passing legislation that provides what he described as the foundation for a more credible electoral system.
He disclosed that NIMC’s database now contains the records of more than 136 million Nigerians, adding that closer integration between both agencies would facilitate continuous verification of voter records and the removal of duplicate, underage and otherwise ineligible entries from the national voter register.
The INEC chairman also revealed that the Commission’s newly introduced online voter registration platform has been built around the National Identification Number (NIN), describing it as a major step towards simplifying the Continuous Voter Registration (CVR) process.
He further explained that, in line with Section 18 of the Electoral Act, voters whose Permanent Voter Cards (PVCs) are damaged, defaced or destroyed can apply for replacements, including printable PVCs where such requests are made at least 90 days before an election.
Amupitan acknowledged that the current voter register still contains records of deceased Nigerians dating back to 2011 as well as duplicate entries, expressing optimism that collaboration with NIMC would enable the Commission to progressively clean up the database.
According to him, maintaining a credible voter register would also reduce the cost of elections by eliminating the need to print excess election materials for inflated voter figures. He said a comprehensive voter register quantification exercise would be undertaken after the 2027 general election.
The INEC chairman also highlighted the growing role of artificial intelligence in election management, noting that while the technology offers significant benefits, appropriate safeguards and operational protocols are necessary to protect the integrity of electoral data systems.
He commended the NIMC leadership for its persistence in securing the passage of the new Act, disclosing that technical teams from both agencies have already commenced collaboration aimed at strengthening preparations for the 2027 elections.
Earlier, NIMC Director-General Engr. Abisoye Coker-Odusote said President Bola Ahmed Tinubu signed the NIMC Act 2026 into law on June 26, 2026, following years of legislative reforms.
She explained that the Act designates NIMC as Nigeria’s root authority for Public Key Infrastructure and places it at the centre of the country’s digital public infrastructure, stressing that a robust identity management system remains critical to effective governance and credible elections.
Coker-Odusote pledged the Commission’s full support to INEC in ensuring free, fair and transparent elections in 2027.
The NIMC delegation also briefed the INEC management on the expanded responsibilities conferred on the Commission by the new law.
The meeting was attended by National Commissioners, the Secretary to the Commission, directors, technical aides and management staff of both INEC and NIMC.
