INEC: Voters’ Register Hits 103m Ahead of 2027 Elections

The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has disclosed that Nigeria’s National Register of Voters has risen to more than 103 million ahead of the 2027 general elections.

INEC Chairman, Prof. Joash Amupitan, disclosed this in Abuja at a strategic workshop with media executives organised by the Nigerian Guild of Editors in collaboration with the Commission.

Amupitan said the three-phase Continuous Voter Registration (CVR) exercise recorded 10,772,421 new registrants, subject to final biometric verification.

He said the Commission had completed the cleanup of the Automated Biometric Identification System, adding that the preliminary display of the voters’ register for claims and objections would take place from October 9 to 15.

The INEC chairman also announced that nationwide collection of newly produced Permanent Voters’ Cards (PVCs) would commence on October 9.

According to him, INEC has acquired 57,000 new Bimodal Voter Accreditation System (BVAS) machines and upgraded its electronic result management systems as part of preparations for the 2027 elections.

Amupitan further disclosed that the Commission was collaborating with the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) and the Nigerian Financial Intelligence Unit (NFIU) to monitor campaign financing and detect suspicious expenditure.

He warned that violations of the Electoral Act would attract arrest and prosecution.

The INEC chairman also expressed concern over the spread of misinformation, deepfakes and manipulated election-related content on social media, describing the trend as “citizenship terrorism through social media.”

He urged journalists and editors to strengthen verification before publishing election-related information, stressing that the credibility of the 2027 elections would depend not only on activities at polling units but also on how electoral information is generated, verified and disseminated.