More than 10.6 million Nigerians registered during the latest CVR exercise as INEC completes biometric cleanup and prepares for nationwide PVC collection ahead of the 2027 elections.
The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) says more than 103 million Nigerians are now on the national register of voters ahead of the 2027 general elections, following the completion of its three-phase Continuous Voter Registration (CVR) exercise, public display of the preliminary register and final biometric cleanup.
The commission also announced that nationwide collection of Permanent Voter Cards (PVCs) for those who participated in the latest registration exercise will begin on October 9.
Joash Amupitan, INEC chairman, disclosed this on Monday in Abuja at a strategic workshop for media executives organised by the commission in collaboration with Development Alternatives Incorporated (DAI) and the Nigerian Guild of Editors (NGE). Amupitan said the three-phase CVR exercise attracted more than 10.6 million new applicants, while the commission had completed the public display of the preliminary register for claims and objections and concluded the final Automated Biometric Identification System (ABIS) cleanup.
“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,” Amupitan said. “Nigeria’s National Register of Voters is now over 103 million.”
The latest figure marks the completion of a process designed to update the register ahead of the 2027 elections, after INEC opened the CVR to allow eligible Nigerians who were not previously registered to enrol, as well as registered voters seeking to transfer their registration, correct their details or replace lost or damaged cards. The commission said the biometric verification and cleanup were necessary to identify and remove duplicate or otherwise ineligible records before the register was finalised.
PVC collection begins October 9
With the registration and verification stages completed, INEC said eligible citizens who participated in the latest CVR exercise can begin collecting their PVCs nationwide from October 9. Amupitan urged registered voters to collect their cards and ensure they are ready to participate in the 2027 elections, while stressing that the commission would continue to provide information on the collection process and other electoral activities as preparations progress.
The announcement places PVC collection among the next major stages of INEC’s preparations for the 2027 elections, after the commission completed the registration exercise and allowed the public to scrutinise the preliminary register for claims and objections. The final biometric cleanup was then conducted before the voter register was updated, with the commission now shifting attention to ensuring that newly registered voters have the necessary documentation to participate in the elections.
Amupitan said INEC was also committed to continuously improving the Bimodal Voter Accreditation System (BVAS) and the INEC Result Viewing Portal (IReV) as part of efforts to strengthen the credibility and transparency of elections. He said the commission recognised that technology alone could not guarantee electoral integrity and that public confidence would remain central to the success of the process.
“The ultimate arbiter of electoral integrity is public trust,” the INEC chairman said, while calling for stronger cooperation among the commission, media organisations, civil society groups and other stakeholders ahead of the 2027 elections.
INEC seeks stronger media partnership
Amupitan said the commission was prepared to listen to editorial concerns, address operational challenges and provide timely information to prevent misinformation from filling communication gaps during the election cycle. He said INEC would provide editors with direct access to information that could help them verify field incidents, logistical developments and security reports in real time, particularly as electoral activities intensify and public interest grows.
The chairman also proposed a sustained editorial feedback mechanism between INEC and the NGE to review the commission’s operational progress and address emerging challenges throughout the 2027 election cycle. According to him, stronger engagement with the media would help ensure that accurate information reaches voters, particularly during periods when electoral activities generate heightened public interest and unverified claims can spread quickly across social media platforms.
Rudolf Elbling, team leader at DAI, said credible elections depended not only on effective electoral administration but also on professional, ethical and fact-based journalism. He identified electoral integrity, election technology, the security of journalists and voters, and information disorder as some of the major challenges confronting the media ahead of the 2027 elections.
Elbling said journalists had an important role to play in providing voters with accurate information while also holding electoral institutions and other stakeholders accountable. He urged media organisations to maintain professional standards in their coverage of the electoral process, particularly as misinformation and disputed claims are likely to increase as the country moves closer to the elections.
The workshop brought together electoral officials, editors, civil society representatives and other stakeholders to strengthen cooperation and improve public communication ahead of the 2027 elections. With the voter register now exceeding 103 million and PVC collection scheduled to begin on October 9, INEC is moving into another critical phase of its preparations for the 2027 polls.
