Nigeria’s electoral commission has recorded more than 10 million new voter registrations as the country intensifies preparations for the 2027 general elections, marking one of the largest voter registration drives in recent years.
The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) announced that 3,867,997 eligible Nigerians successfully completed the third phase of the Continuous Voter Registration (CVR) exercise, which ended on July 26, 2026. Combined with registrations recorded during the first two phases, the total number of new registrants has reached approximately 10.19 million.
According to INEC, the first phase produced 2,572,054 completed registrations, while the second phase added 3,748,704 voters. The latest figures bring the cumulative total to 10,188,755 prospective voters before the final verification process.
Nigeria currently has more than 93 million registered voters. However, INEC said it will carry out a nationwide de-duplication exercise to identify and remove multiple registrations before updating the National Register of Voters with the verified figures.
The commission’s latest data shows that 2,697,863 people completed their registration at physical centres, while 1,170,134 registered online before finalizing the mandatory verification process. Physical registration remained the most popular option, accounting for nearly 70 percent of all completed registrations.
State-by-state figures reveal that Kano recorded the highest number of new registrations with 330,906 voters, followed by Lagos with 181,254 and Delta with 166,895. Edo registered 156,150 new voters, while Sokoto recorded 145,160.
Other states with significant registration numbers include Ebonyi, Taraba, Ogun, Bauchi, Jigawa and Oyo, reflecting broad participation across different regions of the country.
At the lower end of the registration table, Ekiti recorded just 2,276 completed registrations, while Ondo registered 23,824. Plateau had 41,993 new voters, and the Federal Capital Territory recorded 56,285.
INEC explained that no registrations were conducted in Osun State because the Continuous Voter Registration exercise was suspended ahead of the state’s governorship election, in compliance with the Electoral Act 2022.
The commission said the nationwide exercise is aimed at expanding voter participation and ensuring that more eligible Nigerians are included in the electoral process before the 2027 general elections.
