Over 1.3 Million Nigerians Pre-Register for PVCs as INEC Flags Off Nationwide Exercise
The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has disclosed that 1,379,342 Nigerians have successfully completed their pre-registration for the Permanent Voter’s Card (PVCs) ahead of the forthcoming general elections.
PulseNets learnt that this figure was made public on Monday by Sam Olumekun, INEC’s National Commissioner and Chairman of the Information and Voter Education Committee, who spoke on the commencement of the Continuous Voter Registration (CVR) exercise.
Olumekun told PulseNets that the Commission was delighted to roll out the first weekly update of the registration exercise, revealing details across states, gender, age brackets, occupations, and disability status.
According to him, “Of the total online pre-registrants, 661,846 are male, representing 47.96 percent, while 717,856 are female, accounting for 52.04 percent. Young people between 18 and 34 years of age make up the bulk with 860,286, which is 62.37 percent.”
He further reported that students are topping the chart with 374,534 (27.15 percent) of the total registrants, while 27,089 (1.96 percent) of those who signed up are persons with disabilities. “For transparency, the full statistics have already been published on the INEC website and other official platforms,” Olumekun added.
Physical Registration Now Ongoing Nationwide
PulseNets obtained that the physical aspect of the registration officially commenced across 811 offices of INEC spread across states and local governments. Olumekun noted that those who pre-registered online would now be required to complete their biometrics at designated centres.
He also issued a reminder: “This voter registration exercise is strictly for Nigerian citizens who have attained the age of 18 and who have never registered before. Engaging in double or multiple registration is against the law. However, transfers across states or within the FCT and replacement of lost or damaged cards are permitted during the CVR.”
Exercise Runs for One Year
The INEC Commissioner stressed that the exercise would span a full year, ending on 30th August 2026, but urged citizens not to delay. “From our experience, Nigerians tend to rush in at the eleventh hour, overwhelming the centres with appeals for deadline extensions. We are advising everyone to take advantage of the early phase,” he said.
Breakdown of Registrations by State
PulseNets gathered that Osun State currently leads the chart with 393,269 pre-registrants, followed by Lagos with 222,205 and Ogun with 132,823. The Federal Capital Territory stands at 107,682, while Oyo comes fifth with 66,951.
The states with the lowest numbers so far include Abia (772), Enugu (484), Imo (481), and Ebonyi (261).
Below is the full ranking from highest to lowest:
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Osun – 393,269
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Lagos – 222,205
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Ogun – 132,823
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FCT – 107,682
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Oyo – 66,951
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Kaduna – 61,592
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Kogi – 58,546
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Kebbi – 35,009
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Yobe – 34,888
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Kwara – 33,726
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Ekiti – 29,685
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Niger – 24,818
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Delta – 24,421
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Borno – 21,045
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Bauchi – 13,066
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Sokoto – 12,478
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Akwa Ibom – 12,373
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Nasarawa – 11,555
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Rivers – 11,314
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Katsina – 11,004
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Kano – 10,166
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Jigawa – 8,243
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Benue – 7,305
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Plateau – 6,586
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Bayelsa – 4,638
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Gombe – 4,103
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Cross River – 4,055
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Ondo – 3,426
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Zamfara – 2,947
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Edo – 2,875
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Taraba – 2,395
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Adamawa – 2,155
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Abia – 772
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Enugu – 484
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Imo – 481
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Ebonyi – 261
Also Read: Edo 2024: 125,928 new PVCs collected in 5 days — INEC
Political analysts who spoke to PulseNets believe the turnout is an indicator of heightened public interest in the 2027 general elections, with young Nigerians again forming the backbone of democratic participation.
INEC has maintained that the process remains transparent, technology-driven, and citizen-focused. The Commission urged Nigerians to treat voter registration not just as a civic duty but as the gateway to credible leadership in the next election cycle.
