The Independent National Electoral Commission has warned Nigerians not to use a fraudulent website claiming that a fresh nationwide online voter registration exercise is under way, saying the platform could be used to harvest or misuse personal information.
In a public notice issued on Saturday, 3 October 2026, INEC said the unauthorised site falsely advertised a registration window running from 28 September to 27 October. The commission stressed that the website has no affiliation with it and urged members of the public not to click its link or enter any details.
The warning is particularly important for prospective voters who may be eager to register, transfer their voting location or replace a lost or damaged Permanent Voter Card ahead of the 2027 general election. The fake platform presents itself as a final phase of online voter-card registration and claims to offer several of those services.
INEC said the nationwide voter registration exercise closed on 26 July 2026. Its official Continuous Voter Registration portal also states that registration is no longer active, while still allowing registered voters to check the status of their PVC and locate a collection centre.
“Members of the public are strongly advised not to click on the link or submit any personal information on the website, as doing so may expose them to the risk of having their sensitive personal data harvested or misused,” the commission said in its notice.
It added: “Any information suggesting that a new nationwide online voter registration exercise is currently ongoing through the above mentioned website is false.”
How to recognise the official channels
The fraudulent site uses wording associated with INEC and voter services, but it is hosted on a Blogspot address rather than an official Nigerian government domain. That difference is an immediate warning sign. Nigerians seeking electoral information should begin with the commission’s main website or its dedicated voter-registration portal, rather than links forwarded through messaging apps, social media posts or unfamiliar web pages.
INEC’s voter portal uses the address cvr.inecnigeria.org. The commission has advised the public to verify announcements through its authorised communication channels before submitting names, telephone numbers, email addresses, dates of birth, voter details or other identifying information.
The commission also provided its call centre number, 0700-CALL-INEC, which is 0700-2255-4632, the short code 4632, and the telephone numbers 090844444333 and 09050858629 for enquiries. Its public contact email is iccc@inec.gov.ng.
Anyone who encounters the false registration message should avoid opening the link, should not forward it to other people and should report it through the appropriate platform or to INEC. People who have already entered information should be cautious about unexpected calls, messages or requests for payments and should secure any email or online account whose password they may have reused.
Why the warning matters
Voter registration involves valuable personal information. A convincing imitation of an official electoral service can exploit public trust at a moment when political activity is intensifying ahead of the 2027 polls. Even if a fraudulent page does not immediately request money, information collected through it could be used for impersonation, targeted scams or other forms of abuse.
The episode also highlights a wider challenge for election administration. False announcements can confuse eligible citizens about official deadlines and weaken confidence in legitimate electoral services. Clear, consistent public communication is therefore as important as the technology used to register voters and manage the national register.
INEC has said that a credible register is central to transparent elections. At a consultative meeting earlier in 2026, the commission said Nigeria’s register contained 93,469,008 voters at the time of the 2023 general election and outlined plans to clean up duplicate, inaccurate and outdated entries ahead of 2027.
That work makes it essential for voters to rely on genuine channels. Registering twice is unlawful, while submitting information to a fake platform does not place anyone on the official register or complete a legitimate transfer, correction or replacement request.
The commission’s current notice is straightforward: no new nationwide online registration exercise is taking place through the advertised website. Nigerians should disregard the claim, protect their personal data and check directly with INEC whenever an election-related link or announcement appears uncertain.
CTA: Readers can help limit the spread of the scam by sharing INEC’s warning, not the fraudulent link, and directing relatives and community members to the official INEC website and voter portal.
