2017: National voter register now 103m, INEC says

The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) announced on Monday that Nigeria's national voter register now stands at 103 million ahead of the 2027 general elections. INEC Chairman, Prof. Joash Amupitan, revealed this during a strategic workshop for editors organized by the Nigerian Guild of Editors (NGE) and INEC in Abuja.

Amupitan explained that the Continuous Voter Registration (CVR) exercise commenced on August 25, 2025, and concluded on December 10, 2025. During Phase I, a total of 2,611,266 voters were registered. In Phase II, which took place between January 5 and April, 4,121,835 new voters were added, and in Phase III, held between May 11 and July 26, 3,867,997 voters were registered.

The total new registration stands at 10,772,421, pending the Automated Biometric Identification System (ABIS) verification currently underway. In Phase III, INEC introduced the Online Registration Portal technology to overcome distance and time barriers and introduced Printable PVC technology to avoid the long wait for a card.

Following the conclusion of the three-phase CVR exercise, which captured over 10.6 million new applicants, the Voter Register Department completed the final ABIS cleanup. Amupitan assured that the commission is committed to preventing voter disenfranchisement. He cited a situation in Osun where some PVCs were stolen before the election, but the commission took immediate action to print replacement cards to ensure no voter was left disenfranchised.

Amupitan reminded the public that the nationwide collection of PVCs would begin on October 9, urging everyone to collect their cards. He appealed to the Nigerian Guild of Editors and media executives to inform the public about collection locations and encourage registered voters to collect their cards promptly.