*Nigerian Tourism Development Authority Postpones Naija Flavour International Tourism Expo
By Tony Ezimakor, Abuja
Chairman of Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Prof Joash Amupitan has disclosed that 54 staff members of the Commission have been isolated for their complicit roles in the multi-layered irregularities found in the voters’ register which recently dampened the enthusiasm of voters, going into the 2027 general elections.
Addressing journalists on the irregularities which have raised concerns among stakeholders about the integrity of the entire electoral process, Amupitan said the Commission has equally taken steps to address the issues, and assured Nigerians that matters of alleged compromise of electoral process were unfounded.
According to him, following a technical assessment of the concluded 25/26 continuous voter registration exercise, the Commission uncovered irregularities bordering on
suspected multiple registrations, unusual registration patterns, substituted photographs and irregularities associated with registration transactions.
“The Commission found instances in which certain registration personnel deliberately circumvented established registration procedures and misused provisions intended for exceptional registration circumstances including for persons with disabilities,” he lamented.
Prof Amupitan assured that the Commission has taken necessary measures to clean up the register, noting that the suspicious data has been “identified and subjected to the appropriate review and remediation processes.”
He added that personnel of the Commission spread across 10 states of the country and who are associated with the irregularities, have been identified for further administrative investigation.
“To prevent recurrence, the Commission is strengthening its registration controls with enhanced biometric capture, authentication and verification safeguards.
“Fifty-four persons cutting across ten States have been identified as complicit and necessary disciplinary action will be taken against them including possible prosecution,” he said.
The Commission, he added, has successfully cleaned up 1,608,660 items out of the voter register, assuring that the final register that would be published on 15 December is free of any contamination or irregularities.
“The cumulative total of confirmed invalid registrations removed after the objections, claims and complaints is 331,608, in addition to the 873 separately verified deceased voters’ records.
“Registration (CVR) has been concluded. All 1,608,660 confirmed invalid registrations have been removed. In addition, 873 records belonging to verified deceased persons have also been removed as a separate category. The combined total of records removed under these two categories is 1,609,553. Final reconciliation, quality assurance and publication checks remain to ensure that approved changes are accurately reflected in the final register, scheduled for publication on 15 December 2026. With this, the complaints and irregularities raised by the public on the preliminary register for the 2025/2026 CVR have been addressed” he said.
Aside the problem that arise from the 25/26 CVR, Amupitan said the Commission is concerned about complaints that arose from the register as back as 2011 to 2023, which, he noted, informed the proposal in February 2026 for the Commission to embark on nationwide revalidation of voters.
Naija Flavour International Tourism Expo Postponed
Meanwhile, in a separate development, the Nigerian Tourism Development Authority (NTDA) has announced the postponement of the maiden edition of Naija Flavour International Tourism Expo (NAFITOE) 2026, earlier scheduled for 21–22 November 2026 in Abuja.
The high profile tourism expo will now hold in 2027 at a yet-to-be announced date and follows careful consideration of the prevailing national calendar and the increasingly demanding schedules of key dignitaries and stakeholders expected to participate in the event.
It was gathered that organizers called a pause to arrangements for the expo following intensified national political and electoral activities, which created significant scheduling pressures and competing commitments for the Presidency, senior government officials, invited dignitaries and other key stakeholders.
Given the importance being attached to NAFITOE as a National Tourism Expo, the NTDA considers it essential that the event is held at a time that will enable the country’s President to graciously flag off the Expo.
The new dates will therefore provide greater flexibility for the Presidency and other distinguished national and international dignitaries to participate fully in the event.
This will further strengthen the national character, visibility and impact of NAFITOE and reinforce the importance of tourism as a strategic instrument for economic diversification, job creation,
investment attraction, cultural diplomacy and national development.
According to a statement by Ola Awakan, Director General of NTDA, the postponement will also provide the organization with additional time to further strengthen the programme, deepen stakeholder engagement, expand international participation and mobilise greater private-sector and institutional support, with the objective of delivering a significantly bigger and more impactful event in 2027.
NAFITOE is conceived as an annual national and international platform to showcase Nigeria’s tourism destinations, cultural heritage, creative industries, investment opportunities and hospitality sector, while providing
opportunities for international tourism cooperation, business-to-business engagement, investment matchmaking and destination promotion.
