The number of registered voters has crossed 103 million ahead of Nigeria’s 2027 general elections, the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has announced.
INEC Chairman, Prof. Joash Amupitan, disclosed the figure on Monday while delivering a keynote address at a strategic workshop for editors organised by the Nigerian Guild of Editors in collaboration with the commission in Abuja.
According to Amupitan, the increase followed the completion of the three-phase Continuous Voter Registration (CVR) exercise and the commission’s final Automated Biometric Identification System (ABIS) cleanup of the register.
The three phases of the CVR produced 10,772,421 new registrations.
The first phase recorded 2,611,266 registrations, while 4,121,835 people registered during the second phase. The third phase added another 3,867,997 registrations.
The latest figure represents a notable increase from the 93,469,008 registered voters recorded for the 2023 general elections.
PVC collection begins October 9
INEC has scheduled Friday, October 9, 2026, for the commencement of nationwide collection of newly produced Permanent Voter Cards by eligible voters.
The commission said the cards would be distributed to collection centres at the local government level, while voters are expected to verify their details and collect their cards ahead of the elections.
INEC has also introduced printable PVC technology, which the commission says will reduce delays in obtaining voter cards and make it easier for voters whose cards have been lost or stolen to obtain replacements.
The commission is expected to display the preliminary voters’ register from October 9 to 15 to allow citizens to raise claims and objections over entries on the register.
2027 election dates
The presidential and National Assembly elections are scheduled for January 16, 2027, while the governorship and State Houses of Assembly elections will hold on February 6, 2027.
With more than 103 million registered voters now on the national register, the size of Nigeria’s electorate will be a major factor in the political calculations of parties and candidates as campaigns intensify ahead of the 2027 polls.
