By EMMANUEL OLONIRUHA

The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) on Monday says the country’s national voter register now stands at 103 million ahead of the 2027 general elections.

INEC Chairman, Prof. Joash Amupitan, disclosed this in a keynote address at the strategic workshop for editors organised by the Nigerian Guild of Editors (NGE) in collaboration with INEC in Abuja.

Amupitan said, in line with Section 10 of the Electoral Act 2026, the first Phase of the Continuous Voter Registration (CVR) commenced on Aug. 25, 2025 and ended on Dec. 10, 2025 during which a total of 2,611,266 voters were registered.

He said that during the Phase II of the exercise held between Jan. 5 and April, a total of 4,121,835 voters were also registered, while in the Phase III which was held between May 11 and July 26, the commission recorded 3,867,997 voters.

“The total new registration stands at 10,772,421, subject to the Automated Biometric Identification System (ABIS) verification currently being concluded.

“In the third phase, we introduced the Online Registration Portal technology to eliminate barriers of distance and time.

“Furthermore, we introduced Printable PVC technology in line with Section 18(1) of the Electoral Act 2026 to ensure that waiting months for a card becomes a relic of the past.

“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 more than 103 million,” Amupitan said.

He pledged that the commission was committed that no voter would be disenfranchised.

He, however, cited a situation in Osun where some PVCs were stolen before the election and how the commission took prompt action to ensure no voter was disenfranchised in the election.

“I want to place on record that during the Osun election, when PVCs of some wards in some local government were stolen, people thought they would be completely disenfranchised, instantly, we used this technology to print, not to disable those PVCs that were stolen.

“We also implemented the downloadable PVCs, which the electorate used and cast their votes, just to ensure inclusivity and that nobody was disenfranchised,”

He reminded the Nigerian public that the nationwide collection of PVCs would commence on Oct. 9, urging the public to come out and collect their cards.

“We have completed the processing and distribution of Phase 1 PVCs to all local government centres.

“We, appeal to the Nigerian Guild of Editors and all media executives present to leverage your platforms to inform the public, explain collection locations and encourage the registered voters to collect their cards promptly,” Amupitan said. (NAN)

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