Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) says the number of registered voters in Nigeria has risen to more than 103 million ahead of the 2027 general elections.
INEC Chairman Joash Amupitan disclosed this on Monday at a strategic workshop for media executives in Abuja, organised by the commission in collaboration with Development Alternatives Incorporated (DAI) and the Nigerian Guild of Editors.
Gatekeepers News reports that Amupitan said the three-phase Continuous Voter Registration (CVR) exercise attracted more than 10.6 million new applicants, bringing the national voter register above the 103 million mark after the completion of the final Automated Biometric Identification System (ABIS) cleanup.
He said the public display of the preliminary register for claims and objections had also been completed, while the commission had concluded the biometric verification and cleaning of the register.
INEC chairman announced that nationwide collection of newly issued Permanent Voter Cards (PVCs) would begin on Friday, October 9, 2026.
He urged Nigerians who participated in the latest registration exercise to collect their cards and ensure they are prepared to participate in the 2027 elections.
Amupitan said INEC had completed the processing and distribution of the first phase of PVCs to Local Government Area collection centres ahead of the commencement of the exercise.
He also said the commission was working to improve the Bimodal Voter Accreditation System (BVAS) and the INEC Result Viewing Portal (IReV) ahead of the 2027 polls.
“The ultimate arbiter of electoral integrity is public trust,” Amupitan said, calling for stronger cooperation between INEC, the media, civil society organisations and other stakeholders.
He said the commission would provide media organisations with timely access to information and opportunities to verify electoral developments in order to reduce misinformation and improve public confidence in the electoral process.
The INEC chairman also disclosed that the commission had strengthened its technological infrastructure ahead of the elections, including plans involving additional BVAS machines. The commission has previously said the latest CVR exercise recorded 10,772,421 new registrations, subject to biometric verification.
With the PVC collection scheduled to begin on October 9, eligible Nigerians who registered during the latest CVR exercise are expected to collect their cards from designated centres as preparations intensify for the 2027 general elections.
