As preparations intensify for the 2027 general elections, the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has announced that 6,885,330 new prospective voters have been registered through the three phases of its Continuous Voter Registration (CVR) exercise. The registration exercise, which was initially scheduled to end on July 10, was extended by two weeks and is now expected to conclude on Sunday, July 26, 2026.

INEC disclosed that the third phase marks the final stage of the nationwide registration exercise. According to a statement issued by the Chairman of the Information and Voter Education Committee, Mohammed Kudu Haruna, the second phase was suspended on April 17 to enable the commission clean up the voter register after publishing it for claims and objections by registrants.

The electoral commission also confirmed that, barring any changes, the provisional voter register will be displayed in August to allow members of the public to verify their details, correct errors and raise objections to any ineligible entries before the register is finalised.

Despite recording nearly 6.9 million new registrations, indications suggest the exercise fell short of INEC's initial projection. A senior commission official, who spoke anonymously, revealed that the electoral body had hoped to register as many as 10 million new voters, a figure that would have increased Nigeria's voter register to about 103 million.

According to INEC records, Nigeria had 84,004,084 registered voters ahead of the 2019 general election. That number increased to 93,469,008 before the 2023 elections, representing an addition of 9,464,924 voters. The commission had expected the latest registration exercise to surpass that growth.

The official, however, stressed that the current figure of 6,885,330 remains provisional and should not be regarded as the final tally. He explained that INEC would only announce the official number of newly registered voters after the registration portal closes and all verification procedures, including biometric de-duplication, have been completed.

He noted that the commission would first eliminate cases of multiple registrations through biometric verification before publishing the provisional register for claims and objections. The process will also allow Nigerians to identify and challenge ineligible registrations, including entries belonging to deceased persons.

"We projected from the beginning that we could register up to 10 million new voters. Whether that target is eventually achieved or not can only be determined after the registration closes and all backend verification processes have been completed," the official said.

The Continuous Voter Registration exercise has experienced several challenges since it began. Apart from temporary suspensions in some states due to off-cycle elections, INEC also extended the deadline following complaints and technical difficulties encountered by intending registrants.

One of the most controversial issues surrounding the exercise was the commission's proposed nationwide voter revalidation programme. The proposal attracted widespread criticism, forcing INEC to suspend public awareness campaigns and logistical preparations for the exercise.

The commission had explained that the proposed revalidation was intended to improve the integrity of the voter register by removing deceased persons, correcting outdated records and eliminating duplicate registrations. It also said the exercise would provide eligible voters with an opportunity to confirm or update their personal information.

Although the public rollout was suspended, INEC maintained that internal preparations would continue. Resident Electoral Commissioners were directed to make necessary administrative arrangements, including staff deployment and ensuring that voter registration equipment remained functional.

Speaking on the extension of the CVR exercise, Mohammed Kudu Haruna confirmed that the commission approved an additional two weeks for registration but declined to provide further details.

An analysis of INEC's registration data shows that 3,631,488 prospective voters completed their online pre-registration, while 3,253,842 applicants were physically captured across the three phases of the exercise.

The first phase, conducted between August and December 2025, accounted for 2,685,725 registrations, consisting of 1,576,137 online pre-registrations and 1,109,588 physical registrations. Phase II recorded 1,228,648 registrations, while the third phase contributed 2,970,957 registrations.

State-by-state figures indicate that Kano recorded the highest number of new registrations with 465,964 prospective voters, followed by Lagos with 350,337 and Sokoto with 338,730. Other states with significant registrations include Imo, Osun, Borno, Jigawa, Delta, Edo, Taraba, Abia, Kaduna, Ogun, Bauchi, Benue and Oyo.

The latest report also revealed that women accounted for 1,561,765 registrations, representing 52.57 per cent of new registrants, while men accounted for 1,409,192 or 47.43 per cent.

Young Nigerians between the ages of 18 and 34 remained the largest group of new registrants with more than two million registrations. Students constituted the highest occupational category, followed by business owners, housewives, farmers, artisans, traders, civil servants and public servants. INEC also registered more than 32,000 persons living with disabilities during the latest phase of the exercise.

Regional analysis shows that the North-West recorded the highest number of new voter registrations with 1,560,531 registrants, driven largely by Kano, Sokoto and Jigawa. The South-East followed with 830,774 registrations, ahead of the North-Central, South-South, South-West and North-East.

Political analyst Kamilu Sani Fage welcomed the increase in voter registration but stressed that the growing voter register would only strengthen Nigeria's democracy if eligible voters eventually participate in elections.

He urged INEC to thoroughly clean the register to eliminate duplicate entries and ensure the credibility of the electoral process. Fage also expressed concern over Nigeria's persistently low voter turnout, noting that participation has remained below 30 per cent in recent elections despite steady growth in the number of registered voters.

He called on INEC, political parties and civil society organisations to intensify voter education campaigns, encourage Nigerians to collect their Permanent Voter Cards (PVCs), and promote greater participation in the 2027 general elections.

An online opinion survey also showed that most respondents expressed willingness to vote in 2027, although concerns about electoral transparency and whether votes would count remained key reasons for voter apathy among some participants.

Overall, the latest registration exercise has significantly expanded Nigeria's voter database, but observers say its true impact will depend on the successful completion of INEC's verification process and the willingness of registered voters to participate when Nigerians head to the polls in 2027.