The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has disclosed that Nigeria’s voter register is approaching the 100 million mark ahead of the 2027 general elections.
INEC Chairman, Professor Joash Amupitan, made this known on Monday in Lagos, revealing that the commission recorded 10,772,421 new registrants during its latest Continuous Voter Registration (CVR) exercise.
The CVR was conducted in three phases between August 2025 and July 2026, although INEC said the figures remain subject to verification through its Automated Biometric Identification System.
Amupitan made the disclosure at a two-day strategic operational workshop for the commission’s administrative secretaries, where he unveiled plans for a real-time election readiness tracker.
According to INEC Director of Voter Education and Publicity, Victoria Eta-Messi, the tracker will provide real-time information on the commission’s level of preparedness across the 36 states and the Federal Capital Territory.
The system will monitor areas including logistics, recruitment and training of ad hoc personnel, electoral technology and the distribution of election materials.
Amupitan said the initiative would enable INEC officials to identify challenges early rather than wait until the final stages of election preparations.
He explained that the commission had previously lacked a uniform mechanism for monitoring the operational responsibilities of administrative secretaries across the country.
The INEC chairman said the new framework would provide Resident Electoral Commissioners and other senior officials with “instant visibility” into the commission’s state-by-state level of preparedness.
He added that the objective was to replace what he described as “reactive panic with proactive management.”
Amupitan also reaffirmed the commission’s commitment to ensuring that eligible Nigerians were not disenfranchised due to challenges in the distribution of Permanent Voter Cards.
He said INEC had drawn lessons from recent off-cycle elections, particularly the Osun governorship election, where the commission credited effective logistics and functioning technology with supporting a transparent process.
“We are now working to replicate that standard nationally,” Amupitan said.
The commission is also reviewing its electoral technology and result management processes, including the recently introduced eEC8A system, aimed at improving the verification of polling-unit results through the national collation centre.
Speaking at a separate South-West zonal interactive meeting in Lagos, Amupitan warned that INEC personnel would face significant pressure ahead of the 2027 elections.
“The eyes of 200 million Nigerians, and the world, are fixed on us,” he said.
He identified voter apathy, public distrust, misinformation and disinformation as major challenges that could affect the elections.
The INEC chairman further urged electoral officials to remain neutral and professional, stressing that the conduct of field officers would be crucial to countering false narratives about the electoral process.
“The competence and conduct of our field officers remain our strongest defence against false narratives,” he said.INEC: Voter Register Nears 100 Million as Commission Intensifies 2027 Election Preparations
The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has disclosed that Nigeria’s voter register is approaching the 100 million mark ahead of the 2027 general elections.
INEC Chairman, Professor Joash Amupitan, made this known on Monday in Lagos, revealing that the commission recorded 10,772,421 new registrants during its latest Continuous Voter Registration (CVR) exercise.
The CVR was conducted in three phases between August 2025 and July 2026, although INEC said the figures remain subject to verification through its Automated Biometric Identification System.
Amupitan made the disclosure at a two-day strategic operational workshop for the commission’s administrative secretaries, where he unveiled plans for a real-time election readiness tracker.
According to INEC Director of Voter Education and Publicity, Victoria Eta-Messi, the tracker will provide real-time information on the commission’s level of preparedness across the 36 states and the Federal Capital Territory.
The system will monitor areas including logistics, recruitment and training of ad hoc personnel, electoral technology and the distribution of election materials.
Amupitan said the initiative would enable INEC officials to identify challenges early rather than wait until the final stages of election preparations.
He explained that the commission had previously lacked a uniform mechanism for monitoring the operational responsibilities of administrative secretaries across the country.
The INEC chairman said the new framework would provide Resident Electoral Commissioners and other senior officials with “instant visibility” into the commission’s state-by-state level of preparedness.
He added that the objective was to replace what he described as “reactive panic with proactive management.”
Amupitan also reaffirmed the commission’s commitment to ensuring that eligible Nigerians were not disenfranchised due to challenges in the distribution of Permanent Voter Cards.
He said INEC had drawn lessons from recent off-cycle elections, particularly the Osun governorship election, where the commission credited effective logistics and functioning technology with supporting a transparent process.
“We are now working to replicate that standard nationally,” Amupitan said.
The commission is also reviewing its electoral technology and result management processes, including the recently introduced eEC8A system, aimed at improving the verification of polling-unit results through the national collation centre.
Speaking at a separate South-West zonal interactive meeting in Lagos, Amupitan warned that INEC personnel would face significant pressure ahead of the 2027 elections.
“The eyes of 200 million Nigerians, and the world, are fixed on us,” he said.
He identified voter apathy, public distrust, misinformation and disinformation as major challenges that could affect the elections.
The INEC chairman further urged electoral officials to remain neutral and professional, stressing that the conduct of field officers would be crucial to countering false narratives about the electoral process.
“The competence and conduct of our field officers remain our strongest defence against false narratives,” he said.
The presidential and National Assembly elections are scheduled for January 16, 2027, while the governorship and State Houses of Assembly elections are expected to hold on February 6, 2027.
Amupitan said INEC now has about six months to complete preparations for the elections.
The presidential and National Assembly elections are scheduled for January 16, 2027, while the governorship and State Houses of Assembly elections are expected to hold on February 6, 2027.
Amupitan said INEC now has about six months to complete preparations for the elections.
