The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has announced that Lagos, Kano, Kaduna, and Oyo states are leading in the number of registered voters ahead of the 2027 general elections. INEC Chairman, Prof. Joash Amupitan, disclosed this at a world press conference and stakeholders meeting in Abuja. He stated that the national voter register now stands at 103 million registered voters following the conclusion of phases one, two, and three of the Continuous Voter Registration (CVR).
According to Prof. Amupitan, during the three phases of the CVR, the commission registered a total of 10,772,421 new voters. The breakdown includes 2,611,266 voters in Phase One, which ran from August 25 to December 10, 2025, 4,121,835 in Phase II, which ran from January 5 to April 17, 2026, and 3,867,997 in Phase III, which ran from May 11 to July 26, 2026.
The top 10 states with the most registered voters are Lagos (7,488,633), Kano (6,570,276), Kaduna (4,662,640), Katsina (3,876,051), Rivers (3,736,434), Oyo (3,588,111), Delta (3,525,988), Benue (3,057,225), Ogun (3,037,981), and Bauchi (3,012,547). On the other hand, Ekiti State has the lowest number of registered voters with 1,055,708, followed by Bayelsa with 1,200,691 registered voters, FCT with 1,732,043, Yobe with 1,733,671, and Gombe with 1,768,566.
Prof. Amupitan also disclosed that male voters account for 53,528,218, representing 51.75% of the registered voters, while female voters account for 49,900,497, representing 48.25%. In terms of age profile, Nigerians between the ages of 35 to 49 years account for 43,265,946 voters, or 41.83% of the total, followed by voters aged 18 to 34 years, 29,777,578, representing 28.79%.
The INEC Chairman further revealed that Nigerians between the ages of 50 and 69 account for 22,982,900, or 22.22%, while those aged 70 years and above account for 7,402,291 voters, representing 7.16%. Additionally, the register records 232,658 Persons With Disabilities, spread across 10 disability categories, representing roughly 0.23% of the total 103.43 million registered voters.
The Commission will display the Register of Voters for public scrutiny from October 9 to 15, 2026, not later than 90 days before the General Election. Claims and objections arising from the nationwide display at Registration Areas will be addressed thereafter. The distribution of Phase 1 PVCs to all Local Government Centres will commence on October 9, 2026.
INEC has successfully executed nine major milestones contained in the timetable and schedule of activities for the elections. The Commission has also successfully conducted major off-cycle elections in Anambra, Ekiti, and Osun states, the FCT Area Council elections, as well as critical federal and state bye-elections, which received a pass mark from local and international observers.
Key points
- The total number of registered voters in Nigeria is 103 million.
- Lagos, Kano, and Kaduna are the top three states with the most registered voters.
- The Commission will display the Register of Voters for public scrutiny from October 9 to 15, 2026.
