By Sandra Michaels
ABUJA — The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has projected that Nigeria’s registered voting population will surpass 100 million ahead of the 2027 general elections.
Mallam Mohammed Haruna, INEC National Commissioner and Chairman of the Information and Voter Education Committee (IVEC), disclosed this in Abuja during a Joint Implementation Meeting of the Departments of Voter Education and Publicity (VEP) and Gender and Inclusivity (G&I).
The meeting was convened to draft the communication and inclusivity roadmap for the 2027 general elections, targeting free, fair, and credible polls.
Haruna noted that with the previous voter register standing at over 93 million, the figure is expected to cross the 100-million mark upon the finalisation of the recently concluded nationwide Continuous Voter Registration (CVR). This milestone cements Nigeria’s position as Africa’s largest electoral democracy.
With 151 days remaining before the first phase of the general elections, Haruna tasked INEC information officers with delivering effective publicity to mobilise all eligible citizens.
In his remarks, the Chief Press Secretary to the INEC Chairman, Mr. Adedayo Oketola, reiterated the commission’s commitment under Prof. Joash Amupitan to credible and inclusive elections, as well as the implementation of resolutions reached at the meeting.
The Director of VEP, Victoria Eta-Messi, stated that INEC’s grassroots reach regarding voter sensitisation largely depends on the capacity and efficiency of heads of departments, who are expected to drive the programmes across their respective states.
The session drew heads of departments for VEP and G&I from the 36 states of the federation and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT).
