Over 103m Nigerians now on voter register – INEC

The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) says more than 103 million Nigerians are now on the national register of voters ahead of the 2027 elections.

INEC Chairman, Prof. Joash Amupitan, announced this on Monday at a strategic workshop for media executives in Abuja.

The workshop, themed ‘Strengthening democracy through partnership among editors, civil society and electoral institutions’, was organised by INEC in collaboration with Development Alternatives Incorporated (DAI) and the Nigerian Guild of Editors (NGE).

Amupitan said the commission’s three-phase continuous voter registration (CVR) exercise attracted more than 10.6 million new applicants.

He said the public display of the preliminary register of voters for claims and objections had been completed, while the final automated biometric identification system (ABIS) cleanup of the register had also been concluded.

The INEC chairman said the commission would commence nationwide collection of permanent voter cards (PVCs) on October 9.

He urged eligible citizens who participated in the registration exercise to collect their cards and ensure they are ready to participate in the 2027 elections.

Amupitan said INEC was also committed to continuously improving the bimodal voter accreditation system (BVAS) and the INEC Result Viewing Portal (IReV) to strengthen the credibility and transparency of elections.

“The ultimate arbiter of electoral integrity is public trust,” he said.

He called for stronger collaboration among INEC, media organisations, civil society groups and other stakeholders ahead of the 2027 elections.

Amupitan said the commission was prepared to listen to editorial concerns, address operational challenges and provide timely information to prevent misinformation from filling communication gaps.

He said INEC would provide editors with direct access to verify field incidents, logistical developments and security reports in real time.

The chairman also proposed a sustained editorial feedback mechanism between INEC and the NGE to review the commission’s operational progress and address emerging challenges throughout the 2027 election cycle.

Amupitan said stronger engagement with the media would help ensure that accurate information reaches voters, particularly during periods when electoral activities generate heightened public interest.

Rudolf Elbling, team leader at DAI, said credible elections depended not only on effective electoral administration but also on professional, ethical and fact-based journalism.

Elbling identified electoral integrity, election technology, the security of journalists and voters, and information disorder as some of the major challenges confronting the media ahead of the 2027 elections.

He said journalists had an important role to play in providing voters with accurate information and holding electoral institutions and other stakeholders accountable.

The workshop brought together electoral officials, editors, civil society representatives and other stakeholders to strengthen cooperation and improve public communication ahead of the 2027 elections.