The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has disclosed that Lagos, Kano, and Kaduna have the highest number of registered voters ahead of the 2027 general elections. INEC Chairman, Prof. Joash Amupitan, made this announcement at a stakeholders meeting and press conference in Abuja. He stated that the national voters’ register now contains over 103 million voters following the completion of INEC's three-phase Continuous Voter Registration exercise and biometric clean-up.
According to Amupitan, Lagos tops the list with 7,488,633 registered voters, followed by Kano with 6,570,276 and Kaduna with 4,662,640. The INEC chairman listed the top 10 states by number of registered voters, with Katsina State ranking fourth with 3,876,051 voters, and Rivers State fifth with 3,736,434 registered voters. Other states in the top 10 include Oyo, Delta, Benue, Ogun, and Bauchi.
The three-phase CVR exercise recorded 10,772,421 new registrations before the final biometric verification and clean-up of the register. INEC has also scheduled nationwide collection of newly issued Permanent Voter Cards to commence on October 9, 2026. At the bottom of the table is Ekiti State with 1,055,708 registered voters, followed by Bayelsa with 1,200,691. The Federal Capital Territory ranks third from the bottom with 1,732,043 registered voters.
Amupitan stated that the total number of registered voters stood at 103,428,715. He provided a demographic breakdown of the register, revealing that male voters numbered 53,528,218, representing 51.75 per cent, while female voters stood at 49,900,497, representing 48.25 per cent. The INEC chairman also disclosed that voters aged between 35 and 49 years constituted the largest age group, with 43,265,946 voters, representing 41.83 per cent of the register.
The register also shows that those aged between 18 and 34 years numbered 29,777,576, representing 28.79 per cent, while voters aged between 50 and 69 years accounted for 22,982,900, or 22.22 per cent. Voters aged 70 years and above constituted the smallest age group, with 7,402,291, representing 7.16 per cent. Additionally, the commission recorded 232,658 persons with disabilities across 10 categories, representing about 0.23 per cent of the total register.
Amupitan provided further details on the categories of persons with disabilities, stating that the largest category was classified as “others”, with 101,183 voters, representing 43.49 per cent of registered persons with disabilities. This was followed by persons with albinism with 44,023, representing 18.92 per cent, and those with physical impairment with 27,141, representing 11.67 per cent. The INEC chairman also announced that the register of voters would be displayed for public scrutiny from October 9 to 15, 2026.
The display of the register will allow Nigerians to scrutinise the register and raise objections or claims before the 2027 general elections. Amupitan emphasized that this exercise is in compliance with Section 19(1) of the Electoral Act 2026, which requires the display of the register not later than 90 days before the general election. This move aims to ensure the accuracy and integrity of the voters' register.
Key points
- - Lagos, Kano, and Kaduna have the highest number of registered voters. - The total number of registered voters stands at 103,428,715. - INEC will display the register of voters for public scrutiny from October 9 to 15, 2026.
