The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has released the 2026 national voter register, which shows that North-West and South-West geopolitical zones have the highest number of registered voters. The North-West accounts for 25,083,411 voters, representing about 24.25 per cent of the national register, while the South-West follows with 19,614,274, or 18.96 per cent. The national register stands at 103,428,715.
The South-East region recorded the lowest zonal figure, with 11,976,218 voters, or 11.58 per cent. The North-Central has 16,965,787 voters, representing 16.41 per cent, while the South-South accounts for 15,823,550, or 15.30 per cent. The North-East has 13,965,475 registered voters, representing 13.51 per cent. These figures indicate a significant variation in voter registration across regions.
At the state level, Lagos has the highest number of registered voters, with 7,488,633, accounting for 7.24 per cent of the national register. Kano follows with 6,570,276, representing 6.35 per cent, while Kaduna ranks third with 4,662,640, or 4.51 per cent. Katsina occupies the fourth position with 3,876,051 voters, representing 3.75 per cent.
The top 10 states with the highest number of registered voters also include Rivers, Oyo, Delta, Benue, Ogun, and Bauchi. These states have significant voter populations, with Rivers having 3,736,434 voters, Oyo having 3,588,111, and Delta having 3,525,988. The voter distribution across states highlights the varying levels of electoral engagement.
The gender gap in the national register is relatively narrow, with male voters numbering 53,528,218, while female voters total 49,900,497. The male population accounts for approximately 51.75 per cent, compared with about 48.25 per cent for females. This distribution suggests a relatively balanced representation of both genders in the electoral process.
The age distribution of registered voters shows that those aged 35 to 49 years constitute the largest age group, with 43,265,946 registered voters, representing 41.83 per cent of the register. Voters aged 18 to 34 number 29,777,578, or 28.79 per cent, while those aged 50 to 69 account for 22,982,900, representing 22.22 per cent. The register also contains 232,658 persons with disabilities (PWDs).
The new register represents an increase of nearly 10 million registered voters compared with the register used for the 2023 general elections, which stood at about 93.47 million. The distribution of the 103.4 million voters shows that the electoral map remains heavily concentrated in a number of populous states.
Key points
- North-West and South-West regions have the highest number of registered voters.
- The South-East region has the lowest number of registered voters.
- The national voter register stands at 103,428,715.
