With the 100-day countdown to Nigeria’s 2027 general elections officially underway, the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has confirmed that over 103.4 million citizens are registered to vote, with Lagos State and the North-West geopolitical zone commanding the highest numbers.
INEC Chairman, Prof. Joash Amupitan, outlined the commission’s operational readiness during a press briefing in Abuja on Tuesday, ahead of the national polls set for January 16 and February 6, 2027.
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According to Amupitan, the electoral body has already completed nine of the 14 major milestones outlined in its revised timetable. The operational blueprint has been decentralized across INEC headquarters, 36 state branches, the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), and all 774 local government area offices.
Key institutional partners—including the Nigeria Police Force, the European Union, and the National Assembly—reaffirmed their backing for the commission, while discussions on security measures, combating misinformation, and aligning with recent court rulings took center stage.
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Lagos and North-West Command Voter Numbers
The total national voter roll stands at 103,428,715. Lagos holds the top spot among states with 7,488,633 registered voters, followed closely by Kano with 6,570,276 and Kaduna with 4,662,640.
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Rounding out the top ten states are:
Katsina: 3,876,051 Rivers: 3,736,434 Oyo: 3,588,111 Delta: 3,525,988 Benue: 3,057,225 Ogun: 3,037,981 Bauchi: 3,012,547
At the bottom of the table, Ekiti recorded the lowest tally with 1,055,708 voters, just behind Bayelsa at 1,200,691. Meanwhile, the FCT registered 1,732,043 voters, Ondo logged 1,733,641, and Gombe recorded 1,768,560.
Regionally, the North-West emerged as the largest voting bloc with 25,083,411 electors—outpacing the second-placed South-West (19,614,274) by more than 5.4 million voters. The North-Central recorded 16,965,787, followed by the South-South with 15,823,550, the North-East with 13,965,475, and the South-East with 11,976,218.
Demographic Breakdown
Men constitute the slight majority of registered voters at 53,528,218 (51.75%), while women account for 49,900,497 (48.25%).
Voters aged between 35 and 49 represent the largest demographic bracket, totaling 43,265,946 individuals (41.83%). The youth cohort (aged 18 to 34) forms the second-largest group with 29,777,576 registered voters (28.79%).
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Citizens aged 50 to 69 make up 22,982,900 voters (22.22%), while seniors aged 70 and above stand at 7,402,291 (7.16%). Additionally, the register includes 232,658 persons with disabilities across 10 categories, representing roughly 0.23% of the total electorate.
Pursuant to Section 19(1) of the Electoral Act 2026, the complete voter register will be displayed publicly for verification and claims between October 9 and October 15, 2026.
AI Integration and BVAS Optimization
To bolster transparency and combat digital threats, INEC has created a dedicated Artificial Intelligence Division within its Information and Communications Technology department. The unit is designed to detect irregularities in election figures and counter disinformation campaigns.
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Amupitan explained that automated AI auditing tools have been embedded into INEC’s verification workflow under a five-pillar governance framework that retains strict human oversight. The electoral umpire is collaborating with international tech partners while finalizing its overarching AI policy.
The INEC chief voiced serious concerns regarding malicious technologies such as voice cloning and deepfakes used to forge election results, official paperwork, and statements from commission officials.
“Fabricated content poses a direct threat to the integrity of the process and can erode public trust in official announcements from constitutional authorities,” Amupitan stated.
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He urged media professionals to leverage digital verification tools before publishing election news, while reminding news organizations that the mandate to declare official results belongs solely to INEC.
Alongside its digital security measures, the commission is currently auditing, stress-testing, and upgrading its Bimodal Voter Accreditation System (BVAS) hardware, with a nationwide mock accreditation exercise slated for November.
The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has confirmed plans to deploy 57,000 newly acquired Bimodal Voter Accreditation System (BVAS) machines to bolster voter identification and general electoral management during the upcoming general elections. In addition to the hardware rollout, the electoral umpire will establish a centralized situation room to oversee real-time developments across every stage of the balloting, while continuing technical training for personnel through 2027.
Police Step Up Security Operations Across Volatile Regions
Nigeria’s security leadership has reiterated its commitment to restoring stability in restive corridors across the nation to guarantee safe, unhindered voter participation. Speaking on behalf of the Inspector-General of Police, Olatunji Disu, the Assistant Inspector-General in charge of the Police Mobile Force, Alinyenu Idu, stated that operational and tactical assets have been fully activated to evaluate emerging risks and protect voters, election officials, sensitive materials, and collation centers.
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Security protocols will encompass the entire electoral journey, from the opening of polling stations and the secure transit of materials to the final collation and announcement of results. The police emphasized that their approach will hinge strictly on the rule of law rather than heavy-handed enforcement.
Addressing existing apprehensions among the electorate, Idu revealed that targeted clearance missions are actively underway in volatile sections of Kogi, Niger, Benue, and Taraba states. The Force plans to review its strategic readiness in November before delivering a comprehensive status briefing to the public by late December.
European Union Reaffirms Commitment to Democratic Process
The European Union Ambassador to Nigeria and ECOWAS, Gautier Mignot, underlined the critical importance of the 2027 vote in solidifying the country’s democratic foundations. He noted that transparent, credible polls are essential for conferring the mandate and legitimacy needed by elected leaders to govern effectively.
Acknowledging the task INEC faces in restoring public trust following recent off-cycle governorship contests, Mignot called on all stakeholders to provide the commission with adequate resources and backing. He pointed out that hundreds of thousands of ad-hoc staff—primarily young Nigerians—will carry the operational weight of election day across the federation.
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Mignot announced that the EU will deploy an expert election observation mission to evaluate pre-election preparations, polling day conduct, and post-election procedures, building on insights from its 2023 mission. He also urged political actors, civil society, and the press to prevent electoral violence, counter disinformation, and champion inclusive participation, particularly for women and persons with disabilities.
Parliamentary Support and Legal Scrutiny
The National Assembly has also pledged its institutional backing to strengthen the nation’s democratic structures. Senator Simon Lalong, Chairman of the Senate Committee on Electoral Matters, affirmed parliament’s resolve to continually refine the legal and institutional landscape governing elections.
Lalong emphasized that safeguarding electoral integrity is a shared duty requiring maturity from political parties, constructive engagement from candidates, objective reporting from the media, and active vigilance from the electorate. He noted that the Senate committee will sustain regular engagements with INEC to address pending statutory and structural needs.
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Alongside these operational preparations, INEC confirmed that its legal team is currently evaluating a recent Supreme Court ruling concerning the Electoral Act to assess its practical implications for the 2027 balloting cycle.
The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has initiated an internal review of its operational schedule for the 2027 general elections to ensure all arrangements fully conform with a recent judgment delivered by the Supreme Court.
Speaking on the development, INEC official Amupitan revealed that the electoral body had received formal representations from political parties, National Assembly members, and dissatisfied aspirants regarding the apex court’s September 24, 2026 verdict in INEC v. Zenith Labour Party.
The landmark ruling validated the constitutionality of Section 77(5)–(7) of the Electoral Act 2026 and endorsed the commission’s revised roadmap for the upcoming polls. According to Amupitan, a certified true copy of the ruling was officially delivered earlier that morning and is currently being studied by the commission amid broader ongoing consultations regarding Nigeria’s electoral framework.
Massive Manpower Mobilisation Planned
Alongside its legal reviews, INEC disclosed that it will enlist 1,414,768 ad hoc personnel to manage operations across 176,846 polling units nationwide. This reflects a significant increase from the roughly 1.2 million temporary workers engaged during the 2023 general elections.
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The workforce will be deployed in two equal tranches of 707,384 officials: the first batch will manage the Presidential and National Assembly elections scheduled for January 16, 2027, while the second will oversee the Governorship and State Houses of Assembly polls on February 6, 2027.
With exactly 100 days to go before the initial round of voting, INEC stated that its immediate focus will centre on completing key administrative milestones, stress-testing election technology, enhancing inter-agency security collaboration, training polling staff, and opening the national voter register to public verification.
