BREAKING: Nigeria’a Registered Voters Hits 103 Million Ahead Of 2027 Elections
The Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Joash Amupitan, has said the number of registered voters ahead of the 2027 general election has risen to more than 103 million, following the completion of the Continuous Voter Registration (CVR) exercise.
Amupitan disclosed this on Monday in Abuja, while delivering a keynote address at a strategic workshop with media executives organised by the Nigerian Guild of Editors (NGE) in collaboration with the commission.
The workshop has the theme: “Strengthening Democracy Through Partnership Among Editors, Civil Society and Electoral Institutions.”
Amupitan said the commission had so far completed eight of the 14 major statutory activities contained in its timetable for the elections, describing the preparations as having entered the amber zone as the countdown intensifies.
He noted that the three-phase CVR exercise attracted 10,772,421 new registrants, comprising 2,611,266 in the first phase, 4,121,835 in the second and 3,867,997 in the third phase, subject to final verification.
The chairman said the commission had completed the Automated Biometric Identification System (ABIS) cleanup, adding that the preliminary display of the register for claims and objections had been scheduled for 9-15 October 2026.
The INEC chairman stated: “As you are aware, and in line with Section 10 of the Electoral Act 2026, the first Phase of the Continuous Voter Registration (CVR) commenced on 25th August 2025 and ended on 10th December 2025, registering a total of 2,611,266 voters; Phase II commenced on 5th January 2026 and ended on 17th April 2026, registering 4,121,835 voters; and Phase Ill commenced on 11th May 2026 and ended on 26th July 2026, registering 3,867,997 voters.
“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 for 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, our Voter Register Department has completed the final Automated Biometric Identification System (ABIS) cleanup. Nigeria’s National Register of Voters is now over 103 million.”
He announced that nationwide collection of Permanent Voters’ Cards (PVCs) would commence on Friday, October 9, with newly produced cards distributed to Local Government Area collection centres.
According to him, the commission has also deployed a new printable PVC technology, designed to reduce the lengthy waiting period associated with the production and collection of voters’ cards.
Amupitan said the commission had strengthened its technology ahead of the 2027 elections to prevent voter disenfranchisement, including acquiring 57,000 new Bimodal Voter Accreditation System (BVAS) machines.
He emphasised that INEC was upgrading existing, tested technologies rather than introducing untested systems, with improvements to BVAS and the electronic result management system aimed at ensuring every valid vote counts and is properly recorded.
Amupitan said the commission had also introduced an enhanced eEC8A form, designed to digitise and cryptographically authenticate polling-unit results before their upload to the INEC Result Viewing (IReV) portal.
He explained that INEC was deploying artificial intelligence-driven systems to detect anomalies in database traffic and strengthen cybersecurity around the electoral process.
INEC Chairman Prof. Joash Amupitan said the commission was working with the EFCC, ICPC and NFIU to monitor campaign financing and track illegal spending, warning that electoral violations would attract arrest and prosecution.
He also raised concerns about disinformation, deepfakes and manipulated content, urging journalists to verify information before publication to prevent panic, voter suppression and loss of confidence in elections.
Amupitan warned against electoral violence, saying INEC’s early-warning system was monitoring political violence, thuggery and inflammatory rhetoric ahead of the 2027 elections.
The chairman stated that INEC was strengthening logistics, field operations and personnel accountability, including readiness audits and mandatory oaths of neutrality for electoral officials and temporary staff.
He added that the credibility of the 2027 elections would depend on transparent election management, responsible media reporting and effective civil society oversight, all of which he described as essential to public confidence.
