The Independent National Electoral Commission has said 103,428,715 Nigerians are now registered to vote in the 2027 General Election as preparations enter the final 100-day phase.

INEC Chairman, Prof. Joash Amupitan, disclosed the figure on Tuesday in Abuja at a World Press Conference and National Stakeholders’ Meeting organised to mark 100 days to the elections.

The latest register followed the completion of three phases of Continuous Voter Registration and the final biometric verification exercise. INEC said the three CVR phases produced 10,772,421 new registrations.

The commission said the first phase, conducted from August 25 to December 10, 2025, produced 2,611,266 registrations, while the second phase, from January 5 to April 17, 2026, recorded 4,121,835. The third phase, held between May 11 and July 26, produced another 3,867,997 registrations.

The register places Lagos at the top of the states with the highest number of registered voters, with 7,488,633, followed by Kano with 6,570,276 and Kaduna with 4,662,640. Katsina has 3,876,051, Rivers 3,736,434, Oyo 3,588,111, Delta 3,525,988, Benue 3,057,225, Ogun 3,037,981 and Bauchi 3,012,547.

Ekiti has the lowest number of registered voters at 1,055,708, followed by Bayelsa with 1,200,691. The Federal Capital Territory has 1,732,043, while Gombe has 1,768,566.

Male voters account for 53,528,218, representing 51.75 per cent of the register, while female voters number 49,900,497, representing 48.25 per cent.

Voters aged between 35 and 49 years constitute the largest age group, with 43,265,946 registered voters, representing 41.83 per cent. Those aged 18 to 34 account for 29,777,576, or 28.79 per cent, while voters aged 50 to 69 number 22,982,900, representing 22.22 per cent. Those aged 70 and above account for 7,402,291, or 7.16 per cent.

INEC also recorded 232,658 registered Persons With Disabilities across 10 categories, representing about 0.23 per cent of the register. The commission said the register includes people with albinism, physical impairments, visual and hearing impairments, autism, cognitive or learning disabilities, Down syndrome and spinal cord injuries.

The commission said the Register of Voters will be displayed nationwide for public scrutiny from October 9 to 15, 2026, allowing voters and other stakeholders to raise claims and objections.

The distribution of Phase One Permanent Voter Cards to Local Government Centres is scheduled to begin on October 9, with nationwide collection expected to commence the same day.

Amupitan said INEC had also introduced an online registration portal during the third phase of the CVR to reduce barriers associated with distance and time. The commission also introduced printable PVC technology under the Electoral Act 2026, which it said was tested during the Osun governorship election.

He said the final Register of Voters for the 2027 election is expected to be presented to political parties on December 15, 2026.

On election technology, the INEC chairman disclosed that the commission had acquired 57,000 new Bimodal Voter Accreditation System devices. He said the devices had undergone software hardening, battery optimisation and biometric calibration as part of measures to strengthen accreditation and reduce opportunities for manipulation.

The commission is also upgrading the electronic transmission and publication of polling-unit results through the enhanced eEC8A system and the IReV portal.

Amupitan said INEC had established a dedicated Artificial Intelligence Division within its ICT Department and was integrating AI-based auditing and anomaly-detection tools into its electoral technology.

He said the commission was developing a five-pillar AI governance framework under mandatory human oversight, with the technology also being used to monitor database traffic and protect public-facing election portals against cyber threats and unauthorised alterations.

A nationwide mock accreditation and election simulation is scheduled for November 2026 to test personnel, hardware and network systems under conditions designed to mirror election-day operations.

The commission has also scheduled a six-day stress test of configured BVAS devices from October 23 to 28, while technical support personnel will undergo further training in November.

On logistics, Amupitan described the 2027 election as one of the country’s largest peacetime logistics operations, with materials and personnel expected to be deployed across 176,846 polling units and 8,838 Registration Areas.

He said INEC had strengthened agreements with transport unions and was working towards the mobilisation of more than 100,000 vehicles and 4,000 boats. Special arrangements are also being made for riverine, mountainous and other difficult-to-access areas.

The commission plans to move sensitive materials from Central Bank of Nigeria vaults to Local Government Areas 72 hours before polling, with materials expected to reach Registration Area Centres before election day.

On procurement, Amupitan said production and delivery of new BVAS devices, voting cubicles, ballot boxes and operational vehicles were ongoing. Construction of dedicated BVAS storage facilities and Local Government Area offices is also underway, while solar power installations across INEC offices have been contracted.

The commission said procurement of ballot papers and result sheets was nearing completion.

Amupitan also disclosed that INEC would require 707,384 ad hoc personnel for each of the two election days, amounting to 1,414,768 engagements across the country.

He said the recruitment portal for election staff opened on September 18 and would remain open until midnight on November 18, 2026. Eligible applicants include serving and former National Youth Service Corps members, tertiary institution students, qualified public servants and ICT professionals.

The commission said the bulk of ad hoc personnel would continue to be drawn from the NYSC, while insurance, welfare and security arrangements for corps members would be strengthened.

On election security, Amupitan said INEC was working with security agencies through the Inter-Agency Consultative Committee on Election Security to conduct joint training and develop intelligence-led deployment strategies.

He said the commission was also working with the Ministry of Justice, the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission and the Nigerian Financial Intelligence Unit to monitor illicit campaign spending and vote-buying.

According to him, financial monitoring and undercover surveillance teams would be deployed to identify inducements and other violations, with offenders facing arrest and prosecution under the Electoral Act 2026.

On political party nominations, Amupitan said 18 of the 22 registered political parties submitted presidential and vice-presidential candidates, producing 36 candidates. Three parties, Accord, APGA and the Youth Party, did not nominate presidential candidates, while the New Nigeria Peoples Party withdrew its presidential nomination during the substitution window.

For the National Assembly elections, 21 parties sponsored 1,313 Senate candidates and 3,547 House of Representatives candidates.

For governorship and State House of Assembly elections, 21 parties nominated 936 governorship and deputy governorship candidates and 9,692 State House of Assembly candidates.

The commission said it had received 112 formal complaints relating to candidate nominations and resolved all except matters pending before the courts.

Amupitan, however, said the commission had received fresh complaints following a September 24, 2026 Supreme Court judgment in the case involving the Zenith Labour Party and INEC.

The judgment upheld the constitutionality of key provisions of the Electoral Act 2026 relating to political party membership registers and candidate nomination procedures. INEC said it received the certified true copy of the judgment on Tuesday and was reviewing its implications.

The commission also said 27 previously suppressed state constituencies had been restored in Benue, Delta, Jigawa and Kogi states following court judgments. Two additional state constituencies, Warri South West II and Warri North II, were created in Delta State.

On voter inclusion, INEC said it would provide Braille ballot guides, voter education materials for people with disabilities, posters for deaf voters and magnifying glasses for visually impaired voters and people with albinism.

The commission also plans to deploy certified sign-language interpreters at state collation centres.

Beyond physical preparations, INEC said it was intensifying voter education and measures against election-related misinformation.

Amupitan warned that generative artificial intelligence, voice cloning and deepfake technology could be used to fabricate election results, statements from officials and other materials.

He urged journalists to verify election-related information with INEC before publication, establish fact-checking desks and use digital forensic tools where necessary.

He also warned media organisations against announcing privately collated election results, stressing that the authority to declare results rests with INEC.

The commission said its upgraded Media Accreditation Portal would become operational before the end of October to receive applications from local and international media organisations covering the elections.

Amupitan said INEC had also commenced readiness assessments across the six geopolitical zones, with the South-West and North-West assessments completed and the remaining zones scheduled to follow.

The commission’s Election Monitoring and Support Centre will monitor election preparations across the 36 states and the Federal Capital Territory, while the Situation Room Data Support Centre is expected to operate before, during and after the elections.

Amupitan said INEC had moved from planning to execution, with procurement, technology development, staff training and voter registration preparations already at advanced stages.

The commission is also expecting the prompt release of outstanding funds under its budget, saying timely financing is necessary to complete the remaining election preparations. INEC had previously told the National Assembly that it would require substantial funding for the 2027 polls.

Under the revised timetable issued after the enactment of the Electoral Act 2026, the Presidential and National Assembly elections are scheduled for January 16, 2027, while the Governorship and State Houses of Assembly elections are scheduled for February 6, 2027.

With the 100-day countdown now underway, the commission says its immediate priority is to complete the remaining statutory and operational milestones while strengthening the technology, logistics, security and personnel systems required for the elections.

Amupitan said the commission remained committed to neutrality, operational efficiency and the integrity of the ballot, calling on political parties, security agencies, civil society organisations, the media and citizens to play their respective roles in ensuring peaceful and credible elections.