The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) announced that Nigeria's National Register of Voters has surpassed 103 million, following the completion of the Continuous Voter Registration (CVR) exercise and a final biometric data cleanup. The disclosure was made by INEC Chairman Prof. Joash Amupitan during a keynote address at a One-Day Strategic Workshop for Editors, jointly organised by the Nigerian Guild of Editors and the commission in Abuja on October 5, 2026.
Three-Phase CVR and Biometric Cleanup
Amupitan explained that the three phases of the CVR exercise recorded 10,772,421 new registrations, which were pending verification by the Automated Biometric Identification System (ABIS). After the ABIS cleanup was completed, the register crossed the 103 million threshold. He stated, "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."
INEC had earlier signalled its target of reaching the 100 million mark in August, when National Commissioner for Information and Voter Education, Mohammed Haruna, indicated that the register, then at over 93 million, was expected to surpass that figure after the CVR exercise concluded.
PVC Collection and 2027 Election Readiness
Amupitan told the workshop that nationwide collection of Permanent Voters' Cards (PVCs) would begin on Friday, October 9, 2026. He added that Phase 1 PVCs had already been processed and dispatched to all local government centres ahead of that date. He called on the media to help inform citizens about where to collect their cards and to encourage timely collection.
The INEC chairman also revealed that the commission had procured 57,000 new Bimodal Voter Accreditation System (BVAS) devices for the 2027 general elections. He said the devices had undergone software hardening, battery optimisation, and biometric calibration to prevent accreditation bypass and eliminate manual manipulation. "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," Amupitan said. These upgrades are aimed at securing the January 16, 2027 Presidential and National Assembly elections and the February 6, 2027 Governorship and State Houses of Assembly polls.
Coalition Against Vote-Buying
Amupitan warned that INEC had formed a coalition with the Federal Ministry of Justice, the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC), and the Nigerian Financial Intelligence Unit (NFIU) to combat vote-buying. Joint financial monitoring teams will be deployed to track illegal campaign spending and conduct undercover surveillance at polling units. "The integrity of the ballot box is fatally compromised when a citizen's vote is treated as a commodity for sale," Amupitan said, adding that any party or candidate caught buying votes would "face immediate arrest and prosecution under the Electoral Act 2026." He further stated, "Elections must be decided by the conviction of the voter, not the depth of a candidate's pocket."
In related news, a prediction market on Polymarket has placed President Bola Tinubu as the frontrunner in Nigeria's 2027 presidential race, with traders assigning him an implied probability of about 73% as of Saturday, October 3, according to Legit.ng.
