The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has announced that Nigeria’s National Register of Voters has risen to more than 103 million ahead of the 2027 general elections.
INEC Chairman, Professor Joash Amupitan, disclosed this on Monday, October 5, 2026, while delivering a keynote address at a strategic workshop for media executives in Abuja. The workshop 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 recorded 10,772,421 new registrations nationwide, subject to verification.
He said the commission had also completed the public display of the preliminary register for claims and objections, as well as the final clean-up of the register using the Automated Biometric Identification System (ABIS).
“Following the conclusion of our three-phase Continuous Voter Registration (CVR) 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,” Amupitan said.
The INEC chairman announced that nationwide collection of Permanent Voters’ Cards (PVCs) would commence on Friday, October 9, 2026.
He urged eligible citizens who participated in the registration exercise to collect their cards and ensure they are ready to take part in the 2027 elections. Newly produced PVCs will be distributed to Local Government Area collection centres nationwide.
Amupitan also said INEC was continuing to improve 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.
According to Amupitan, 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 Nigerian Guild of Editors 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 of heightened public interest in electoral activities.
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.
He identified electoral integrity, election technology, the security of journalists and voters, and information disorder as some of the major challenges facing the media ahead of the 2027 elections.
Elbling 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.
