The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has announced that Nigeria’s National Register of Voters has surpassed 103 million ahead of the 2027 general elections.
INEC Chairman, Prof. Joash Amupitan, disclosed this during a strategic workshop for media executives held in Abuja in collaboration with Development Alternatives Incorporated (DAI) and the Nigerian Guild of Editors (NGE).
The workshop, themed “Strengthening Democracy Through Partnership Among Editors, Civil Society and Electoral Institutions,”focused on enhancing collaboration among electoral stakeholders ahead of the next general elections.
According to Amupitan, INEC’s three-phase Continuous Voter Registration (CVR) exercise attracted more than 10.6 million new applicants, contributing significantly to the growth of the voter register.
He added that the commission had completed the public display of the preliminary register for claims and objections, as well as the final Automated Biometric Identification System (ABIS) cleanup process aimed at eliminating duplicate and invalid records.
The INEC chairman also announced that nationwide collection of Permanent Voter Cards (PVCs) will commence on Friday, October 9, 2026.
He urged all eligible voters to collect their PVCs to enable them participate in the 2027 elections.
Amupitan said the commission remains committed to strengthening the credibility of the electoral process through continued improvements to its technological platforms, including the Bimodal Voter Accreditation System (BVAS) and the INEC Result Viewing Portal (IReV).
According to him, these innovations are designed to ensure that every valid vote counts and that election results remain transparent and accessible.
“The ultimate arbiter of electoral integrity is public trust,” he said, stressing that efficient election management alone cannot guarantee confidence in the democratic process.
The INEC chairman called for deeper collaboration between the commission, the media and civil society organisations in combating misinformation and enhancing voter education.
He encouraged media organisations to establish digital fact-checking and verification units while assuring editors of direct access to INEC for the verification of election-related information and operational updates.
Amupitan also proposed the establishment of a continuous feedback mechanism between INEC and the Nigerian Guild of Editors to address emerging issues throughout the electoral cycle.
Earlier, President of the Nigerian Guild of Editors, Eze Anaba, described the workshop as timely, noting that credible elections depend not only on the conduct of voting but also on public confidence in the institutions responsible for managing the process.
He urged editors and media professionals to maintain the highest standards of accuracy, fairness, balance and professionalism in election coverage while promoting informed public discourse ahead of the 2027 polls.
