The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has disclosed that the North-West geo-political zone retains its lead in voting population, while Lagos State tops the list of states with 7,488,633 registered voters for the 2027 general election. INEC Chairman, Professor Joash O. Amupitan, made this announcement at a World Press Conference and National Stakeholders' Meeting in Abuja, marking 100 days to the 2027 general election.
According to Amupitan, the National Register of Voters now stands at 103.43 million after the conclusion of Continuous Voter Registration (CVR) and Automated Biometric Identification System (ABIS) verification. The CVR exercise was conducted in three phases between August 2025 and July 2026, registering a total of 10,772,421 new voters. The top 10 states with the highest number of registered voters are: Lagos, Kano, Kaduna, Katsina, Rivers, Oyo, Delta, Benue, Ogun, and Bauchi.
Amupitan provided a breakdown of the registered voters by age and gender, stating that male voters account for 53,528,218, representing 51.75 per cent, while female voters are 49,900,497, representing 48.25 per cent. By age, voters aged 35 to 49 dominate with 43,265,946, representing 41.83 per cent, followed by 18 to 34 years with 29,777,578, representing 28.79 per cent. The register also records 232,658 Persons with Disabilities, representing 0.23 per cent of total voters.
The INEC chairman announced that the register will be displayed for public scrutiny from October 9 to 15, 2026, while distribution of Phase 1 PVCs to all Local Government centres will commence on October 9. He also stated that the commission introduced Online Registration Portal technology and Printable PVC technology to eliminate distance barriers. The register for the 2027 general election will be presented to political parties on December 15, 2026.
On political party nominations, Amupitan stated that 21 out of 22 registered parties submitted nominations for various elective positions. A total of 936 governorship/deputy governorship candidates and 9,692 State Assembly candidates were nominated. The INEC chairman also revealed that 112 formal complaints on unlawful withdrawal and substitution were investigated and resolved, except for those pending in court.
The European Union has pledged support for the INEC and Nigeria's democracy ahead of the 2027 general election, describing the polls as a key moment to reaffirm the strength of Nigeria's democracy. The Senate has also pledged its support for credible polls, with the Chairman, Senate Committee on Electoral Matters, Senator Simon Lalong, stating that the National Assembly remains committed to supporting continuous improvement of Nigeria's electoral framework and democratic institutions.
The House of Representatives Committee on Electoral Matters has urged INEC to enforce the judgment of the Supreme Court on Section 74 of the Electoral Act. The committee chairman, Hon. Adebayo Balogun, blamed inaction by INEC for the crisis rocking political parties over Section 225A of the Constitution as amended. The INEC chairman assured that the Bimodal Voter Accreditation System (BVAS) will not fail in 2027, and that Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) will be allowed to vote.
Key points
- The North-West geo-political zone retains its lead in voting population.
- Lagos State tops the list of states with 7.4 million registered voters.
- INEC to track campaign spending from October 28.
