By Our Reporter
Copyright pointblanknews
The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has announced impressive progress in the ongoing nationwide voter registration exercise, with more than 4.4 million Nigerians completing online pre-registration within the first four weeks of the process.
In a statement issued on Monday, the National Commissioner and Chairman of the Information and Voter Education Committee, Sam Olumekun, revealed that as of Sunday, September 14, a total of 4,445,505 citizens had successfully pre-registered online. The online portal, launched on August 18, forms part of INEC’s broader plan to widen access to voter registration and encourage greater participation ahead of the 2027 general elections.
Recall that the 2023 general elections, INEC faced criticism over inadequate registration centres, long queues, and fears of voter disenfranchisement, particularly among young Nigerians. To address these challenges, the Commission introduced online pre-registration under the Continuous Voter Registration (CVR) exercise. The initiative was hailed as innovative but faced setbacks in rural areas due to poor internet access. The current registration phase builds on that experience, with INEC pledging to further decentralise the process and ensure inclusivity.
According to Olumekun, women continue to lead in the registration drive with 2,304,211 registrants (51.83%), compared to 2,141,294 men (48.17%). Young Nigerians between 18 and 34 years make up the majority, accounting for 2,924,643 registrants or 65.79% of the total, while students represent 1,112,344 registrants, or 25.02%.
INEC further disclosed that 509,929 registrations have been fully completed through both online and physical processes as of Friday, September 12. Of these, 229,758 are male (45.06%) while 280,171 are female (54.94%). Youths remain dominant with 378,132 completed registrations (74.15%), and students make up 196,529 (38.54%).
As part of the phased programme in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), online pre-registration ends today, Monday, September 15. However, physical registration will remain open for an additional two weeks at designated centres across the FCT.
From September 29 to October 8, 2025, the Commission will expand the exercise to all 62 wards of the FCT. The full list of registration centres has already been published on INEC’s official website and social media handles.
INEC urged all eligible Nigerians, especially first-time voters, to take advantage of the ongoing exercise, emphasising that early registration will help reduce last-minute congestion and contribute to a more credible electoral process.
