The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has officially kicked off the 100-day countdown to the 2027 General Election. Speaking at a World Press Conference and National Stakeholders’ Meeting on Tuesday in Abuja, INEC Chairman Prof. Joash O. Amupitan, SAN, declared the Commission’s readiness to deliver a credible, transparent, and peaceful election.
Here are the key takeaways from the Commission’s briefing:
Following three phases of Continuous Voter Registration (CVR), Nigeria’s national voter register now stands at 103,430,392 voters.
Demographics: Male voters make up 51.75% (53.5M), while females account for 48.25% (49.9M).
Age Groups: Young and middle-aged adults lead the pack, with citizens aged 35–49 representing 41.83% of voters, followed by those aged 18–34 at 28.79%.
Top States: Lagos leads nationwide with 7.48 million registered voters, followed by Kano (6.57M) and Kaduna (4.66M). Ekiti State recorded the lowest count with 1.05 million voters.
PVC Collection: Distribution of Phase 1 Permanent Voter Cards starts Friday, October 9, 2026, at LGA offices.
Presidential & National Assembly Election: January 16, 2027.
Governorship & State Houses of Assembly Election: February 6, 2027.
In addition, to ensure electoral integrity and combat digital threats, INEC has procured 57,000 new Bimodal Voter Accreditation System (BVAS) devices. The Commission also announced the creation of a dedicated Artificial Intelligence Division to deploy automated AI auditing tools for verifying results and protecting public portals against cyber intrusions and deepfakes.1.4 Million Ad-Hoc Staff & Massive Logistics.
INEC will deploy over 707,000 ad-hoc personnel per election day (totaling over 1.4 million engagements), relying primarily on members of the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC). Recruitment via the INECPRES portal remains open until November 18, 2026. Logistics partnerships have also been secured to mobilize more than 100,000 vehicles and 4,000 boats nationwide.
Prof. Amupitan reassured Nigerians and international observers of the Commission’s unwavering commitment to neutrality, operational excellence, and protecting the sanctity of the ballot box.
