Former Nigerian President Muhammadu Buhari, Senator Ifeanyi Ubah, media mogul Raymond Dokpesi and former Ondo State Governor Rotimi Akeredolu are among deceased Nigerians whose records remain on the Independent National Electoral Commission’s (INEC) voter verification portal.
Checks on the portal, which displays the message “Voter Information Found!”, show records bearing the names of the deceased individuals, alongside details including partial voter identification numbers, states, local government areas, wards and polling units.
Buhari died in London on July 13, 2025, while Ubah died in London in July 2024. Dokpesi died on May 29, 2023, and Akeredolu died on December 27, 2023.
Their continued appearance on the portal has raised questions about the accuracy of Nigeria’s voters’ register ahead of the 2027 general elections, scheduled for January 16, 2027.
INEC’s national voters’ register reportedly contains more than 103 million registered voters. The presence of deceased persons’ records has remained a concern in efforts to maintain an accurate database of eligible voters.
One of the challenges facing the process is the absence of a comprehensive, real-time national death registration system linked to the electoral database. As a result, the removal of deceased persons’ names is not automatic and may depend on relatives or members of the public submitting objections supported by relevant documents, such as death certificates.
INEC has a process for reviewing and correcting entries on the voters’ register and has also collaborated with the National Identity Management Commission to improve identity verification and data management. The latest findings highlight the importance of updating the register to ensure its accuracy ahead of the next general elections.
