Election 2027: INEC reveals states with highest electoral strength

The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) on Tuesday announced that Lagos, Kano and Kaduna states have emerged as the three states with the highest number of registered voters ahead of the 2027 general elections.

INEC Chairman, Prof. Joash Amupitan, disclosed this in Abuja at the Global Press Conference and National Stakeholders Meeting, providing an update on the National Voters Register

He urged the federal government to “promptly release the remaining budget to ensure the seamless execution of the remaining activities”, commending “the federal government’s commitment to democratic governance through the timely release of statutory budgetary allocations to the Commission”.

Amupitan said the national voter registration has risen to about 110 million, with Lagos leading the 36 states and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT).

According to the INEC Chairman, Lagos has 7,488,633 registered voters, followed by Kano with 6,570,276 and Kaduna with 4,662,640.

Katsina occupies the fourth position with 3,876,051 registered voters, while Rivers State has 3,736,434.

Oyo state follows with 3,588,111 voters, while Delta has 3,525,988.

Benue State has 3,057,225 registered voters, placing it eighth on the list, while Ogun State has 3,037,981.

Bauchi completes the top 10 with 3,012,547 registered voters.

The data was announced as INEC steps up preparations for the 2027 general elections, with the commission expected to begin the nationwide collection of new permanent voter cards (PVCs) on Friday 9 October.

The commission had earlier said that its three-phase continuous voter registration (CVR) exercise produced more than 10.6 million new candidates.

INEC subsequently completed the public display of the preliminary electoral register for complaints and objections, as well as the final cleaning of the Automated Biometric Identification System (ABIS).

The commission urged newly registered voters to collect their PVCs and ensure that their details have been properly captured before the elections.

For the 2027 general elections, Amupitan said: “The Commission will need 707,384 ad hoc staff members for the presidential and National Assembly elections on January 16, and the same number for the governorship and state houses of Assembly elections on February 6. This is a total of 1,414,768 pledges in 176,846 polling units, compared to around 1.2 million in the 2023.

He reaffirmed that “the INEC Portal for the Recruitment of Electoral Staff (INECPRES) opened at 8am on Friday 18 September 2026 and will close at midnight on Wednesday 18 November 2026.

“It is accessible via the INEC website, both on mobile and web applications, and a 24-hour helpdesk is available for candidates. The positions are open to Supervisory Chairpersons, Chairpersons, Assistant Chairpersons, Registration Area Center Managers and RATECH.

“Eligible candidates include serving members, recent ex-corps members, students of tertiary institutions, qualified civil servants and ICT professionals. I urge all eligible Nigerians to apply early and provide accurate and verifiable information.”

The 2027 presidential and National Assembly elections are scheduled for January 16, while the governorship and state Assembly elections are scheduled for February 6.

INEC continued to highlight the importance of voter participation and public trust in the electoral process as preparations for the polls intensify.

“We will not rest on our oars until the deed is done‘

The INEC chairman also said the commission would not rest until “the deed is done” after the 2027 general elections.

Amupitan urged Nigerians and all stakeholders to support INEC in the conduct of the 2027 general elections.

Amupitan assured Nigerians and the international community of INEC’s neutrality.

“We assure the nation and the international community of our total neutrality, operational excellence and the sacred integrity of the ballot box.

“Let us work together to make the 2027 general election a proud moment for our nation.

“I want to express appreciation to our development partners who have worked with us, supported us to get this far. Let me say that until the deed is done after the general elections, we cannot rest on our oars,” Amupitan said.

The CENI president also spoke about the provisions relating to international observers and security in view of the general elections.

He added: “The 2027 Election Project plan for international cooperation and partnership provides a framework for managing international observation protocols, stakeholder engagement, security preparedness and validated timelines.

“In addition to this, the commission through its SERVICOM unit continues to strengthen service delivery, operational transparency and staff ethics by conducting freedom of information and capacity building workshops, as well as launching its revised medical and integrated services channels.”

…We have learned from previous surveys

The INEC boss has ruled out the possibility of inconclusive elections in the 2027 general elections, saying it has continued to strengthen its election management processes.

The Chairman of the commission, Professor Joash Amupitan, stated this at the Global Press Conference and National Stakeholders Meeting in Abuja on Tuesday.

Amupitan said INEC had learned important lessons from the recent off-cycle governorship elections in Anambra, Ekiti and Osun states, which he said would help the commission improve the conduct of the 2027 elections.

He said the commission is determined to ensure that the 2027 elections are conducted in a way that reflects the will of the electorate.

“We have continued to improve our election management and are determined to ensure that the 2027 elections meet the expectations of Nigerians,” Amupitan said.

The INEC Chairman said the commission took into account the experiences of previous elections conducted in preparation for the 2027 general elections.

“The lessons learned from the elections we conducted will guide us as we prepare for the 2027 general elections. Our aim is to ensure that the process is credible, transparent and acceptable to Nigerians,” he said.

Amupitan assured Nigerians that the commission will take all necessary measures to ensure that the elections are conducted in accordance with the law.

“Nigerians should be assured that INEC will do everything within its mandate to organize free, fair, transparent and credible elections in 2027,” he said.

Amupitan urged political parties, candidates, voters and other stakeholders to support the Commission in ensuring peaceful, credible and transparent elections in 2027.

On petitions received by the commission, the INEC Chairman said: “All 112 formal complaints received from aspirants, candidates and parties regarding the nomination process have been investigated and resolved, except those pending in the Court.

However, we have recently received complaints from some aggrieved political parties and aspirants, drawing our attention to the recent Supreme Court decision in INEC v Zenith Labor Party delivered on 24 September 2026, affirming the constitutionality of section 77(5)-(7) of the Electoral Act, 2026 and also supporting our revised calendar and program of activities for the 2027 general elections.

“We only received the certified copy of this ruling this morning, and it is under review.”

IPAC urges Amupitan to remember life outside the office

Meanwhile, the Chairman of the Inter-Party Advisory Council (IPAC), Dr. Yusuf Dantele, has urged the Chairman of INEC, Prof. Joash Amupitan, to ensure that the 2027 general elections were held in a free, fair and credible manner, reminding him that he would remain a Nigerian after his tenure on the commission.

While commending the Commission for what he described as the credible conduct of the Osun State governorship election, the IPAC chairman said political parties would expect nothing less in the 2027 elections.

He also praised Amupitan for organizing stakeholder engagement, describing it as the first of its kind, and urged the Commission to support regular consultations with political parties as preparations for the 2027 elections intensify.

Yusuf also called on security agencies to strengthen preparations ahead of the elections to ensure a peaceful electoral process.

He also urged INEC ad hoc staff to resist attempts by desperate politicians to manipulate them or use them against the interests of the Nigerian people.

The IPAC Chairman said the credibility of the 2027 elections will depend on the commitment of all stakeholders, including INEC, political parties, security agencies and electoral officials, to uphold the integrity of the electoral process.