Lagos, Kano and Kaduna states have the highest number of registered voters ahead of the 2027 general elections, according to figures released by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).
INEC said the number of registered voters had risen to more than 103 million, representing an increase of about 10 million from the 93.4 million recorded for the 2023 general elections.
INEC Chairman, Prof. Joash Amupitan, disclosed the figures on Tuesday at the commission’s World Press Conference in Abuja as part of preparations for the 2027 elections.
Lagos leads the register with 7,488,633 voters, followed by Kano with 6,000,570 and Kaduna with 4,000,640.
Katsina ranks fourth with 3,876,051 registered voters, while Oyo and Delta occupy the fifth and sixth positions with 3,588,111 and 3,525,988 respectively.
Benue has 3,057,225 registered voters, placing it seventh, while Ogun ranks eighth with 3,037,981.
Rivers follows with 3,000,734 registered voters, while Bauchi completes the top 10 with 3,000,047.
The figures indicate the distribution of registered voters across the states ahead of the 2027 presidential, governorship and legislative elections.
However, analysts have cautioned that the growth in the voter register may not necessarily result in higher turnout without sustained voter mobilisation and efforts to address apathy.
In 2023, Nigeria had 93,469,008 registered voters, while 87,209,007 Permanent Voter Cards (PVCs) were collected, leaving 6,259,229 uncollected.
INEC Reviews Supreme Court Judgement
The INEC chairman also said the commission was reviewing the Supreme Court’s recent judgement restoring key provisions of the Electoral Act 2026 before determining its implications for the 2027 elections.
Amupitan said INEC received the Certified True Copy of the judgement on Tuesday, October 6, and was examining its contents.
The Supreme Court, in its September 24, 2026 judgement in the case involving INEC and the Zenith Labour Party (ZLP), restored Sections 77(5), 77(6), 77(7) and 84(2) of the Electoral Act 2026, which had earlier been nullified by the Court of Appeal.
The provisions deal with political parties’ membership registers and procedures for nominating candidates for elective positions.
Amupitan said the commission had received complaints from political parties, aggrieved aspirants and members of the National Assembly seeking clarification on the implications of the judgement.
“We only received the certified true copy of this judgement this morning, and it is being reviewed,” he said.
The development has generated questions over whether the judgement could affect the eligibility of candidates who moved to other political parties after their former parties had conducted or commenced nomination exercises.
Among the candidates whose nominations have attracted attention are Rivers State APC governorship candidate, Kingsley Chinda; Delta Central senatorial candidate of the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC), Ovie Omo-Agege; former Cross River State governor and Peoples Redemption Party (PRP) presidential candidate, Donald Duke; and former Delta State House of Assembly Speaker, Victor Ochei.
However, legal opinions on the judgement have cautioned against interpreting it as an automatic disqualification of individual candidates.
The Supreme Court restored the disputed statutory provisions but did not determine the validity of the nominations of specific candidates.
INEC is therefore expected to consider the scope of the judgement, complaints before it and applicable legal procedures before deciding whether any action is required.
Register Display, PVC Distribution Begin October 9
Meanwhile, INEC will display the 2027 Register of Voters nationwide from October 9 to 15 to enable Nigerians to scrutinise their details and raise claims or objections ahead of the elections.
Amupitan said the exercise was in compliance with Section 19(1) of the Electoral Act 2026, which requires the register to be displayed for public scrutiny not later than 90 days before the general election.
He said claims and objections arising from the display would be addressed after the exercise.
The chairman also announced that distribution of Phase One Permanent Voter Cards to all Local Government Centres would commence on Friday, October 9.
He said the commission had introduced an Online Registration Portal during the third phase of the Continuous Voter Registration exercise, describing it as the first of its kind in Nigeria and designed to reduce barriers associated with distance and time.
Amupitan also disclosed that INEC had introduced Printable PVC technology in line with Section 18(1) of the Electoral Act 2026.
According to him, the technology is intended to reduce delays associated with obtaining physical voter cards.
“The Register of Voters for the 2027 General Election is expected to be presented to political parties on 15th December 2026,” he said.
