Lagos 7.4 million tops from 103.4 million registered voters • INEC to track campaign spending from October 28 • 21 parties nominate 936 gov, dep gov candidates, 9,692 State Assembly candidates • Reps urge enforcement of Supreme Court ruling on Electoral Act • EU to deploy expert mission, backs peace committee • Police to review security operations by November, assure free, fair elections
THE Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has again revealed that the North-West geo-political zone retains its lead in voting population while Lagos State tops the list of states with 7,488,633 registered voters for the 2027 general election.
INEC Chairman, Professor Joash O. Amupitan, SAN, disclosed this on Tuesday in Abuja at a World Press Conference and National Stakeholders’ Meeting marking 100 days to the 2027 general election.
Amupitan said the National Register of Voters now stands at 103.43 million after the conclusion of Continuous Voter Registration (CVR) and Automated Biometric Identification System (ABIS) verification.
He said Phase I of CVR ran from August 25 to December 10, 2025 and registered 2,611,266 voters; Phase II from January 5 to April 17, 2026 registered 4,121,835; while Phase III from May 11 to July 26, 2026 registered 3,867,997, bringing total new registrations to 10,772,421.
Giving breakdown, the INEC chairman said the top 10 states are:
Lagos – 7,488,633; Kano – 6,570,276; Kaduna – 4,662,640; Katsina – 3,876,051; Rivers – 3,736,434; Oyo – 3,588,111; Delta – 3,525,988; Benue – 3,057,225; Ogun – 3,037,981; and Bauchi – 3,012,547.
At the bottom, he said Ekiti has lowest with 1,055,708, followed by Bayelsa with 1,200,691, FCT with 1,732,043, Yobe with 1,733,671 and Gombe with 1,768,566.
On gender, male voters account for 53,528,218, representing 51.75 per cent, while female voters are 49,900,497, representing 48.25 per cent.
By age, voters aged 35 to 49 dominate with 43,265,946, representing 41.83 per cent, followed by 18 to 34 years with 29,777,578, representing 28.79 per cent. Those aged 50 to 69 are 22,982,900, representing 22.22 per cent, while 70 years and above are 7,402,291, representing 7.16 per cent.
The register also records 232,658 Persons with Disabilities, representing 0.23 per cent of total voters.
Amupitan said in line with Section 19(1) of Electoral Act 2026, the register will be displayed for public scrutiny from October 9 to 15, 2026, while distribution of Phase 1 PVCs to all Local Government centres will commence on October 9.
He said the commission introduced Online Registration Portal technology and Printable PVC technology in line with Section 18(1) of the Electoral Act, to eliminate distance barriers.
He said the register for 2027 general election will be presented to political parties on December 15, 2026.
On political party nominations, Amupitan said 18 out of 22 registered parties submitted 36 presidential and vice-presidential candidates, while three parties – Accord, APGA and Youth Party – nominated no presidential candidates and NNPP withdrew during substitution window.
He said 21 of 22 parties sponsored 1,313 candidates for Senate and 3,547 for House of Representatives, with final list published on September 12, subject to court orders.
For governorship and State Houses of Assembly, 21 parties nominated 936 governorship/deputy governorship candidates and 9,692 State Assembly candidates.
The INEC chairman said 112 formal complaints on unlawful withdrawal and substitution were investigated and resolved except those pending in court, noting that the commission only this morning received certified true copy of Supreme Court judgment in INEC v Zenith Labour Party delivered on September 24 affirming Section 77(5)-(7) of Electoral Act 2026.
He announced nationwide mock accreditation in November 2026, stress-testing of BVAS from October 23 to 28, and training of Registration Area Technical Support personnel in November.
Amupitan also said that between October 28, 2026 and January 1, 2027, the Election and Party Monitoring Department will sensitise parties on Political Party Financial Reporting and Audit System (PFRAS) and track campaign finances at national, state and LGA levels to enforce constitutional spending limits.
He said the commission restored 27 state constituencies between June and August 2026 in Benue, Delta, Jigawa and Kogi pursuant to court judgments, and created two new constituencies – Warri South West II and Warri North II – in Delta State to resolve Supreme Court decision in Hon. George U. Timinimi & Ors V. INEC.
The INEC Chairman assured that the Bimodal Voter Accreditation System (BVAS) will not fail in 2027.
“If for any reason it is difficult to transmit results from any polling unit, it will not affect collation of results. Where BVAS fails, election can be shifted to the following day,” Amupitan said.
He also said Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) will be allowed to vote.
The National Chairman of the Inter-Party Advisory Council (IPAC), Dr. Yusuf Mamman Dantalle, warned INEC not to take sides with any political party or candidate.
“Nigeria belongs to all of us,” Dantalle said.
Senate pledges support for credible polls
The Chairman, Senate Committee on Electoral Matters, Senator Simon Lalong said the National Assembly remains committed to supporting continuous improvement of Nigeria’s electoral framework and democratic institutions ahead of the 2027 general election.
He said the meeting came at a time when continuous dialogue and consultations among electoral stakeholders remain essential to strengthening democracy.
He said political parties and candidates have responsibility to respect rules of electoral process, promote issue-based engagement and conduct themselves peacefully.
“Where there are challenges, let us identify them frankly and address them through lawful and democratic channels. Where improvements are required, let us work together to achieve them,” he said.
Reps urge enforcement of Supreme Court ruling on Electoral Act
The Chairman, House of Representatives Committee on Electoral Matters, Hon. Adebayo Balogun, blamed inaction by the INEC for crisis rocking political parties over Section 225A of the Constitution as amended.
He said INEC is mandated to take action where necessary and should not shy away from decisions.
The House committee chairman said the House has written to INEC to enforce judgment of the Supreme Court on Section 74 of the Electoral Act.
EU says 2027 polls key to reaffirm Nigeria’s democracy
While speaking, the European Union pledged support for the INEC and Nigeria’s democracy ahead of the 2027 general election, describing the polls as a key moment to reaffirm strength of Nigeria’s democracy.
The European Union representative, Ambassador Gautier Mignot, pledged EU support for INEC.
Appraising recent off-season elections, the EU said INEC has assured Nigerians that it would conduct credible elections, citing the success of the Osun governorship election.
He said EU will respond to INEC invitation by deploying electoral mission composed of experts who will follow run-up to election, conduct of ballot and immediate aftermath, and come back with recommendations, building on 2023 EU Electoral Observation Mission recommendations.
Police to begin clearance operations in Kogi, Niger, Benue, Taraba, assure of violence-free polls
While speaking, the Inspector-General of Police said the Nigeria Police will ensure that the 2027 general election is peaceful, legitimate and free from violence, with security arrangements covering all stages of the electoral process.
The IGP who was represented by the Assistant Inspector-General of Police in charge of Police Mobile Force, AIG Alinyenu Idu, said: “What the police is doing currently is to stabilise various arenas. Clearance operations are currently around Kogi, Niger, Benue, Taraba, to ensure that within time, we will be able to police various crisis points and ensure there is social harmony for the election,” he said.
He said as part of pre-election activities, the police will by November review operations and by end of December brief Nigerians on measures taken to guarantee assured elections.
