INEC Reports Over 10.7 Million New Voters for 2027 Elections

The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has reported that over 10.7 million new registrants have been added to Nigeria's national voter register as the collection of Permanent Voter Cards (PVCs) begins nationwide. The Continuous Voter Registration (CVR) exercise recorded 10,772,421 new registrants, increasing the total voter register to approximately 103.4 million following biometric verification.

The PVC collection commenced on October 9, alongside the display of the preliminary register of voters for claims and objections. However, initial PVC collection arrangements do not encompass all applicant categories, raising concerns about card availability for subsequent registration phases.

A September 2026 survey by Yiaga Africa indicated that while 84 percent of respondents were likely to vote in 2027, only 41 percent were certain about their voting commitment. The CVR exercise phases included 2,611,266 registrants from August 25 to December 10, 2025, 4,121,835 from January 5 to April 17, 2026, and 3,867,997 from May to July 2026.

Notably, 9,324,349 young Nigerians registered, highlighting significant youth participation.