By EMMANUEL KUJE, Abuja–
Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has announced that 1,379,342 Nigerians completed online pre-registration for the Continuous Voter Registration (CVR) within just one week.
The exercise, which began on August 18, saw significant participation across the country.
INEC’s National Commissioner and Chairman of the Information and Voter Education Committee, Sam Olumekun, announced this in a statement released on Monday in Abuja.
“As of Sunday, August 24, a remarkable 1,379,342 Nigerians registered nationwide in just one week,” Olumekun said, highlighting the strong public response.
A detailed breakdown revealed Osun leading with 393,823 registrants (28.51%), followed by Lagos with 222,205 (16.11%), while Ebonyi recorded the lowest at 261 (0.02%).
Gender distribution showed 661,846 males (47.96%) and 717,856 females (52.04%).
Olumekun noted that young people aged 18 to 34 made up the majority, accounting for 860,286 registrants (62.37%).
“Students constitute 374,534 (27.15%) of the registrants, while 27,089 (1.96%) are persons with disabilities,” he added.
Full details of the registration data are available on INEC’s website and official platforms.
With physical registration now underway at 811 state and local government offices nationwide, Olumekun urged eligible citizens to secure their Permanent Voter Cards (PVCs).
“This exercise is open only to Nigerian citizens aged 18 and above who are not yet registered voters,” he emphasized, warning that “double or multiple registration is a violation of the law.”
He clarified that the CVR also allows for inter-state, intra-state, and FCT voter transfers, as well as the replacement of lost or damaged voter cards.
The CVR will continue until August 30, 2026, but Olumekun cautioned against last-minute rushes.
“From experience, registration centres are often overwhelmed at the eleventh hour, with appeals for extensions. This is not ideal,” he stated, encouraging early participation.
