2027: Nigeria’s Voter Register Hits Over 103m – INEC

The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) says Nigeria’s National Register of Voters has surpassed 103 million ahead of the 2027 general elections.

The INEC Chairman, Prof. Joash Amupitan, disclosed this on Monday while delivering a keynote address at a strategic workshop for editors organised by the Nigerian Guild of Editors (NGE) in partnership with the commission in Abuja.

Amupitan said the figure followed the conclusion of the three-phase Continuous Voter Registration (CVR) exercise conducted in accordance with Section 10 of the Electoral Act 2026.

According to him, the first phase, conducted from Aug. 25 to Dec. 10, 2025, recorded 2,611,266 new registrations.

He said the second phase, which ran from January 5 to April, produced another 4,121,835 registrations, while 3,867,997 voters were registered during the third phase held from May 11 to July 26.

“The total new registration stands at 10,772,421, subject to the Automated Biometric Identification System (ABIS) verification currently being concluded.

“In the third phase, we introduced the Online Registration Portal technology to eliminate barriers of distance and time.

“Furthermore, we introduced Printable PVC technology in line with Section 18(1) of the Electoral Act 2026 to ensure that waiting months for a card becomes a relic of the past.

“Following the conclusion of our three-phase Continuous Voter Registration (CVR) exercise which captured over 10.6 million new applicants and the completion of the public display of the Preliminary Register for claims and objections, our Voter Register Department has completed the final Automated Biometric Identification System (ABIS) cleanup.

“Nigeria’s National Register of Voters is now more than 103 million,” Amupitan said.

The INEC chairman also assured Nigerians that the commission would take steps to prevent voters from being disenfranchised during elections.

He cited an incident in Osun State where PVCs belonging to voters in some wards were reportedly stolen before an election, saying INEC responded by deploying technology that enabled affected voters to participate.

“I want to place on record that during the Osun election, when PVCs of some wards in some local government were stolen, people thought they would be completely disenfranchised, instantly, we used this technology to print, not to disable those PVCs that were stolen.

“We also implemented the downloadable PVCs, which the electorate used and cast their votes, just to ensure inclusivity and that nobody was disenfranchised,”

Amupitan further announced that nationwide collection of Permanent Voter Cards (PVCs) would begin on Oct. 9.

He urged registered voters to take advantage of the exercise and collect their cards ahead of the 2027 elections.

“We have completed the processing and distribution of Phase 1 PVCs to all local government centres.

“We, appeal to the Nigerian Guild of Editors and all media executives present to leverage your platforms to inform the public, explain collection locations and encourage the registered voters to collect their cards promptly,” Amupitan said.