The Independent National Electoral Commission on Monday said Nigeria’s national voters register had risen to over 103 million following the completion of the three-phase Continuous Voter Registration exercise and final biometric cleanup.
INEC Chairman, Prof. Joash Amupitan, disclosed this in his keynote address at a one-day strategic workshop for editors, organised by the Nigerian Guild of Editors in collaboration with the commission in Abuja.
The development said over 103 million Nigerians are eligible to participate in the 2027 general elections.
Amupitan said the three phases of the CVR exercise produced 10,772,421 new registrations, subject to verification by the Automated Biometric Identification System.
“Following the conclusion of our three-phase Continuous Voter Registration (CVR) exercise, which captured over 10.6 million new applicants, and the completion of the public display of the preliminary register for claims and objections, our Voter Register Department has completed the final Automated Biometric Identification System (ABIS) cleanup.
Nigeria’s National Register of Voters is now over 103 million,” he declared.
INEC first projected the 100 million voter register mark in August, when the INEC National Commissioner for Information and Voter Education Committee, Mohammed Haruna, said the voter register, then standing at over 93 million, was expected to surpass 100 million after the completion of the CVR exercise.
In September, the INEC chairman said the national register was “approaching the 100 million mark,” following 10,772,421 new registrations during the CVR exercise, subject to ABIS verification.
The INEC chairman further announced that the nationwide collection of Permanent Voters’ Cards would commence on Friday, October 9, 2026.
He said the commission had completed the processing and distribution of Phase 1 PVCs to all local government centres ahead of the commencement of collection.
He urged the media to inform citizens about collection locations and encourage registered voters to collect their cards promptly.
The INEC chairman also disclosed that the commission had acquired 57,000 new Bimodal Voter Accreditation System devices ahead of the 2027 general elections.
According to him, the BVAS devices have undergone software hardening, battery optimisation and biometric calibration to prevent accreditation bypass and eliminate manual manipulation.
He said the technological upgrades formed part of the commission’s efforts to strengthen the integrity of the electoral process ahead of the January 16, 2027 Presidential and National Assembly elections and the February 6, 2027 governorship and state Houses of Assembly polls.
“We have instituted hardware, software, and cybersecurity enhancements across our technological architecture. We have acquired 57,000 new BVAS for optimal performance.
“The devices have undergone extensive software hardening, battery optimisation, and biometric calibration to prevent accreditation bypass and eliminate manual manipulation,” the INEC chairman stated.
The commission also said it had taken a firm stance against vote-buying ahead of the elections, noting that it had entered a “strengthened coalition” with the Ministry of Justice and anti-graft agencies to prevent such practices.
“The integrity of the ballot box is fatally compromised when a citizen’s vote is treated as a commodity for sale. The commission is taking an uncompromising stance against vote-buying in all its forms ahead of the 2027 general election.
“Working through a strengthened coalition with the Federal Ministry of Justice, Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission, and the Nigerian Financial Intelligence Unit, joint financial monitoring teams will be deployed to track illegal campaign spending and conduct undercover surveillance at polling units nationwide,” the chairman stated.
Amupitan also warned political actors against attempts to trade cash for votes, adding that any party or candidate found in such acts will “face immediate arrest and prosecution under the Electoral Act 2026.”
He added, “Elections must be decided by the conviction of the voter, not the depth of a candidate’s pocket.”
Speaking on the 2027 poll, Prof Amupitan said the commission was targeting the commencement of voting simultaneously across all polling units nationwide.
He said the commission was drawing lessons from recent off-cycle elections and would improve its logistics, personnel and technology ahead of the 2027 polls.
He said INEC was working to ensure that logistics were properly addressed and its technology worked optimally to enable Nigerians to vote without unnecessary delays.
“So some of those lessons from those elections, right from our technology optimisation, must improve. Our logistics must improve.
“I want to see a general election where voting starts in all the polling units in Nigeria at the same time. That is what we are targeting, where logistics is well-addressed, and where our technology works optimally,” he said.
The chairman said the commission had already commenced early procurement and distribution of non-sensitive election materials to state offices, while new operational pickup vehicles had been procured for state offices and local government areas to improve movement of personnel and materials.
He added that INEC had commenced nationwide zonal readiness assessments, with physical audits and staff engagements already completed in the South-West and North-West zones.
The commission, he said, was using the assessments to identify local vulnerabilities, test contingency systems and address potential bottlenecks ahead of election day.
Amupitan said INEC had also acquired 57,000 new Bimodal Voter Accreditation System devices, with the machines undergoing software hardening, battery optimisation and biometric calibration.
The chairman said the technological upgrades were designed to strengthen accreditation and prevent manipulation, while the enhanced electronic EC8A system would ensure that polling unit result sheets were digitised, cryptographically authenticated and uploaded directly to the INEC Result Viewing Portal.
The INEC chairman also said the commission had identified effective and transparent management of election results as a critical lesson from the challenges that followed the 2023 general elections.
He said the commission had resolved that its processes must ensure that election results were managed “effectively, optimally, and transparently,” with declarations made as soon as the electoral work was completed.
“Because the only way that can save us in this country from all the problems we’ve had since 2023 is if we manage our results effectively, optimally, and transparently, and then ensure that the results are declared as soon as the work of collation is completed,” Amupitan said.
He said the approach was intended to improve transparency and enable citizens to follow the process rather than leave room for suspicion and misinformation.
The chairman also disclosed that INEC had introduced technology aimed at making voter registration and access to voter cards easier.
He said the commission introduced an online registration portal during the third phase of the Continuous Voter Registration exercise to remove barriers associated with distance and time.
He further announced the introduction of printable Permanent Voter Cards in line with Section 18(1) of the Electoral Act 2026, saying the technology was intended to eliminate unnecessary delays in obtaining voter cards.
“Apart from that, we also introduced another technology, which is the printable PVC technology in line with Section 18(1) of the Electoral Act, to ensure that waiting becomes a relic of the past,” he said.
The chairman said the technology had already been tested during the Osun governorship election and used to enable voters whose PVCs had been stolen before the election to exercise their voting rights.
Amupitan said the commission was now 101 days away from the presidential and National Assembly elections scheduled for January 16, 2027, with the governorship and state Houses of Assembly elections fixed for February 6.
He said INEC had executed eight of the 14 major statutory activities contained in its revised timetable and was advancing towards the completion of the ninth milestone.
He called on editors, whom he described as the “bridge in an era of information chaos,” to work with the commission to build a public space of verified information, civic responsibility, and institutional trust.
“When newsrooms prioritise factual accuracy over sensational headlines, when reports contextualise field logistics rather than default to inflammatory speculation, and when information is verified before publication, you perform a sacred public service. You act as the primary filter protecting our democracy against information disorder.
“As the nation prepares for the 2027 General Elections, let us work together to build a public space powered by verified facts, civic responsibility, and unassailable institutional trust,” he concluded.
In his address, the President of the Nigerian Guild of Editors, Eze Anaba, described media credibility as an essential part of a free and fair electoral process.
“The credibility of the media is itself an essential component of the credibility of the electoral process. The Nigerian Guild of Editors is committed to working with INEC, and other stakeholders, to promote elections that Nigerians can trust, and a media that the citizens can rely upon for credible information,” Anaba said.
He noted the challenge of courts deciding elections, urging stakeholders to work towards elections decided by electorates’ votes.
“There’s a need for us to fight for our electoral process to be fair, transparent, and to avoid courts being the last port of call. People are talking about courts speaking for citizens as a last arbiter for voters.
“But hopefully, with this next round of elections, citizens’ votes will speak. We cannot grow as a democracy without a very strong electoral body.
“The Guild believes strongly that a credible election is a shared responsibility. INEC has its constitutional mandate. Political parties and analysts have their responsibilities. The media has its own obligation, and ultimately, citizens must be adequately informed
Source: punchng.com
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