The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has registered 6,885,330 new prospective voters during the three phases of its Continuous Voter Registration (CVR) exercise ahead of the 2027 general elections.
The exercise, which was extended by two weeks from the original closing date of July 10, is expected to end on Sunday, July 26, 2026.
INEC said the third phase marks the final stage of the registration exercise. The second phase was temporarily suspended on April 17, 2026, to allow the commission clean up the voters’ register after publishing it for claims and objections.
The commission is expected to display the provisional register in August to enable Nigerians verify their details and raise objections where necessary.
Although more than 6.8 million people have registered, an INEC official, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said the commission had projected to add about 10 million new voters to the register.
According to the official, the current figure is only provisional because biometric verification and the removal of duplicate registrations are still ongoing.
“We projected that about 10 million new voters could be added, but we cannot confirm the final number until registration closes and all verification processes are completed,” the official said.
He explained that INEC would remove multiple registrations through biometric checks before publishing the register for public scrutiny. The final number of registered voters will only be announced after all claims and objections have been addressed.
Registration Figures
INEC data showed that:
3,631,488 people completed online pre-registration.
3,253,842 people completed physical registration.
The breakdown by phases showed:
Phase I (August to December 2025): 2,685,725 registrations.
Phase II (up to Week Six): 1,228,648 registrations.
Phase III (Week 10): 2,970,957 registrations.
States With Highest Registrations
Kano recorded the highest number of new registrations with 465,964, followed by:
Lagos – 350,337
Sokoto – 338,730
Imo – 251,309
Osun – 238,240
Borno – 201,724
Other states also recorded significant numbers of new registrants.
Women and Youth Dominate Registration
The latest figures showed that women accounted for 1,561,765 registrations, representing 52.57 per cent, while men accounted for 1,409,192, or 47.43 per cent.
Young people between 18 and 34 years formed the largest group of new registrants with 2,003,183 registrations.
Students made up the largest occupational group, followed by business owners, housewives, farmers, artisans, traders, civil servants and public servants.
INEC also recorded 32,361 persons with disabilities during the latest phase of registration.
North West Leads Registration
An analysis of the registration figures showed that the North West recorded the highest number of registrations among the six geopolitical zones with 1,560,531 new voters.
It was followed by:
South East – 830,774
North Central – 784,632
South South – 772,503
South West – 758,170
North East – 753,431
Expert Calls for Higher Voter Turnout
Political scientist Kamilu Sani Fage said the increase in registered voters would only strengthen Nigeria’s democracy if those registered actually vote during the 2027 elections.
He urged INEC to thoroughly clean the register by removing duplicate registrations and encouraged the commission and political parties to intensify voter education campaigns.
Fage also expressed concern over Nigeria’s low voter turnout in recent elections, noting that increasing the number of registered voters would have little impact unless more people participate on election day.
Nigerians Show Interest in Voting
An online opinion poll conducted by Weekend Trust showed that most respondents intend to vote in the 2027 elections despite concerns about the credibility of the electoral process.
Out of 28 respondents, 20 said they planned to vote, while four said they would not. The remaining respondents were undecided.
Many of those willing to vote described voting as a civic responsibility and an opportunity to bring positive change to the country.
Those unwilling to vote cited lack of confidence in the electoral process, saying they believed votes often do not count.
The poll also showed that 20 respondents already have Permanent Voter Cards (PVCs), while eight do not.
Growth in Registered Voters
INEC data from previous elections showed a steady increase in registered voters.
The total number of registered voters increased from 84,004,084 before the 2019 general elections to 93,469,008 ahead of the 2023 elections, representing an increase of about 9.5 million voters.
With more than 6.8 million new registrations already recorded, Nigeria’s voter register is expected to move closer to the 100 million mark once the verification process is completed.
