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INEC says Nigeria’s national register has surpassed 103 million following the completion of the three-phase Continuous Voter Registration exercise and final biometric cleanup, potentially expanding the electorate for the 2027 general elections.
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The commission says nationwide collection of Permanent Voter Cards will commence on Friday, October 9, with Phase 1 PVCs already processed and distributed to local government centres for collection.
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The electoral body says the new devices have undergone software hardening, battery optimisation and biometric calibration to prevent accreditation bypass and manual manipulation, while enhanced electronic result transmission is expected to strengthen transparency.
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INEC Chairman Joash Amupitan warns politicians against buying votes, saying the commission, in partnership with the Justice Ministry, EFCC, ICPC and NFIU, will deploy financial monitoring teams and undercover surveillance nationwide.
October 6, (THEWILL) – The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has announced that Nigeria’s national register of voters has risen above 103 million, setting the stage for what could be one of the country’s largest electorates ahead of the 2027 general elections.
INEC Chairman, Prof. Joash Amupitan, disclosed this on Monday at a one-day strategic workshop for editors organised by the Nigerian Guild of Editors (NGE) in collaboration with the commission in Abuja.
Amupitan said the increase followed the conclusion of the commission’s three-phase Continuous Voter Registration (CVR) exercise, the public display of the preliminary register for claims and objections, and a final biometric cleanup using the Automated Biometric Identification System (ABIS).
He said the CVR exercise produced 10,772,421 new registrations, which were subjected to biometric verification and other validation processes.
“Following the conclusion of our three-phase Continuous Voter Registration exercise, which captured over 10.6 million new applicants, and the completion of the public display of the preliminary register for claims and objections, 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 declared.
The latest figure represents a major increase from the more than 93 million voters previously recorded by the commission.
INEC had projected in August that the register would surpass the 100 million mark following the completion of the CVR exercise. In September, the commission said the register was approaching 100 million after recording more than 10.7 million new registrations.
PVC Collection Begins Friday
With the voter register now above 103 million, the commission said attention had shifted to ensuring that eligible voters obtain the necessary documents to participate in the elections.
Amupitan announced that nationwide collection of Permanent Voter Cards (PVCs) would begin on Friday, October 9, 2026.
According to him, the commission has completed the processing and distribution of Phase 1 PVCs to all local government centres ahead of the commencement of collection.
He urged the media to educate citizens on the locations for collection and encourage registered voters to collect their cards promptly.
The chairman also disclosed that INEC had introduced technology to make voter registration and access to voter cards easier, including an online registration portal deployed during the third phase of the CVR exercise. He said the measure was designed to reduce the barriers associated with distance and time.
The commission has also introduced printable PVC technology in accordance with Section 18(1) of the Electoral Act 2026.
Amupitan said the technology was designed to eliminate unnecessary delays in obtaining voter cards and had already been tested during the Osun governorship election.
He said it was used to enable voters whose PVCs had been stolen before the election to exercise their franchise.
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57,000 New BVAS Acquired
As part of preparations for the 2027 elections, INEC also disclosed that it had acquired 57,000 new Bimodal Voter Accreditation System (BVAS) devices.
Amupitan said the devices had undergone software hardening, battery optimisation and biometric calibration to strengthen accreditation and prevent manipulation.
He said the commission had also introduced hardware, software and cybersecurity enhancements across its technological architecture.
The chairman said INEC was determined to prevent accreditation bypass and eliminate manual manipulation during voting.
The commission is also enhancing the electronic EC8A system, which is expected to enable polling-unit result sheets to be digitised, cryptographically authenticated and uploaded directly to the INEC Result Viewing Portal.
According to Amupitan, effective and transparent management of election results remains one of the major lessons drawn from the challenges that followed the 2023 general elections.
He said INEC had resolved to ensure that results were managed transparently and declared as soon as the collation process was completed.
“Because the only way that can save us in this country from all the problems we’ve had since 2023 is if we manage our results effectively, optimally, and transparently, and then ensure that the results are declared as soon as the work of collation is completed”, he said.
The commission said the approach would allow citizens to follow the process more closely and reduce the space for suspicion, misinformation and manipulation.
INEC Targets Simultaneous Voting Nationwide
The INEC chairman also disclosed that the commission was targeting the commencement of voting simultaneously across all polling units nationwide on election day.
He said lessons from recent off-cycle elections were being incorporated into the commission’s preparations, particularly in the areas of logistics, personnel and technology.
“I want to see a general election where voting starts in all the polling units in Nigeria at the same time. That is what we are targeting, where logistics is well-addressed, and where our technology works optimally”, Amupitan added.
He disclosed that INEC had already commenced the early procurement and distribution of non-sensitive election materials to state offices.
New operational pickup vehicles have also been procured for state offices and local government areas to improve the movement of election personnel and materials.
The commission has equally commenced nationwide zonal readiness assessments, with physical audits and staff engagements already completed in the South-West and North-West zones.
Amupitan said the assessments were designed to identify local vulnerabilities, test contingency arrangements and address potential bottlenecks before election day.
Vote Buyers Face Arrest
Beyond logistics and technology, the commission warned political actors against attempting to compromise the 2027 elections through vote-buying.
Amupitan said INEC had adopted an uncompromising position against the practice, which he described as a direct threat to the integrity of elections.
He said the commission had strengthened its partnership with the Federal Ministry of Justice, the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) and the Nigerian Financial Intelligence Unit (NFIU).
According to him, joint financial monitoring teams would be deployed to track illegal campaign spending, while undercover surveillance would be conducted at polling units nationwide.
“The integrity of the ballot box is fatally compromised when a citizen’s vote is treated as a commodity for sale”, Amupitan noted.
He warned that any political party or candidate found engaging in vote-buying would face arrest and prosecution under the Electoral Act 2026.
“Elections must be decided by the conviction of the voter, not the depth of a candidate’s pocket”, he said.
101 Days To Presidential Poll
Amupitan said INEC was now 101 days away from the January 16, 2027 Presidential and National Assembly elections, while the governorship and State Houses of Assembly elections are scheduled for February 6, 2027.
He said the commission had completed eight of the 14 major statutory activities contained in its revised timetable and was advancing towards the completion of the ninth milestone.
The chairman urged the media to play a critical role in providing citizens with verified information as the elections approach. He described editors as the “bridge in an era of information chaos,” urging newsrooms to prioritise factual reporting over sensationalism and speculation.
He said accurate reporting would be critical to protecting the electoral process from misinformation and helping Nigerians make informed decisions.
Media, INEC Must Protect Electoral Credibility
President of the Nigerian Guild of Editors, Eze Anaba, said the credibility of the media was inseparable from the credibility of the electoral process.
Anaba pledged the Guild’s commitment to working with INEC and other stakeholders to promote elections that Nigerians could trust. He also expressed concern over the increasing role of the courts in determining electoral outcomes, saying efforts must be made to ensure that elections are decided by the votes of citizens rather than prolonged legal battles.
“There’s a need for us to fight for our electoral process to be fair, transparent, and to avoid courts being the last port of call”, Anaba stated.
He expressed hope that the next general elections would produce outcomes that reflected the will of voters.
“We cannot grow as a democracy without a very strong electoral body”, he added, stressing that credible elections were a shared responsibility involving INEC, political parties, analysts, the media and citizens.
Background
The 2027 general elections are scheduled to begin with the Presidential and National Assembly polls on January 16, 2027, followed by the governorship and State Houses of Assembly elections on February 6, 2027.
The elections will come against the backdrop of concerns arising from the 2023 general elections, particularly over logistics, technology, result management, voter access and allegations of electoral malpractice.
INEC’s latest preparations are therefore focused on expanding and cleaning the voter register, improving accreditation technology, strengthening election logistics, enhancing result transmission and tackling vote-buying.
With the national register now exceeding 103 million and the elections only months away, the commission faces the task of translating its technological and operational preparations into a voting process that is accessible, credible, transparent and capable of reflecting the will of Nigerian voters.
Felix Ifijeh is a journalist with years of professional reporting experience. Known for his keen news sense, compelling storytelling and commitment to accurate, impactful reporting, he has built a reputation for turning leads into clear, engaging, and well-structured reports that resonate with readers. His work reflects deep newsroom experience and a commitment to accurate, impactful journalism.
