By Martin Ekpeke
The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) reports a significant surge in voter pre-registration, with 4.4 million Nigerians completing the online process within four weeks of the continuous voter registration (CVR) exercise, which began on August 18, 2025.
According to a statement from Sam Olumekun, INEC’s National Commissioner for Information and Voter Education, the total number of online pre-registrations reached 4,445,505 as of Sunday, September 14, 2025. This figure is composed of 2,141,294 males (48.17%) and 2,304,211 females (51.83%), indicating a higher turnout among female registrants.
Young people, aged 18-34, constitute the largest group of pre-registrants, with 2,924,643 registrations, accounting for 65.79% of the total. This is followed by the middle-aged group (35-49) with 1,020,226 registrations (22.95%). The elderly (50-69) and old (70+) groups represent 10.04% and 1.22% of the registrations, respectively.
ITPulse, Online voter pre-registration, 2027 elections
Students lead the occupational breakdown with 1,112,344 registrations, making up 25.02% of the total. The business group follows with 985,919 registrations (22.18%), and the farming/fishing group with 580,587 (13.06%). Other notable occupations include housewives (11.81%), traders (8.38%), and artisans (7%).
Additionally, 92,593 (2.08%) of the online pre-registrants are persons with disabilities (PWD), with individuals with albinism and physical impairments making up the largest proportion of this group.
INEC has announced that online pre-registration in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) ended on Monday, September 15th, to allow pre-registrants to complete the process at physical centers. It is important to note that the online registration alone is invalid without in-person biometric capture.
In line with Section 9(6) of the Electoral Act 2022, voter registration in the FCT will be suspended on October 8, 2025, 90 days before the FCT Area Council election scheduled for February 21, 2026.