THE Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has announced that more than 3.5 million Nigerians have pre-registered online for their Permanent Voter Cards (PVCs) within just three weeks of its ongoing Continuous Voter Registration (CVR) exercise.
In a statement issued on Monday obtained by News Point Nigeria, INEC’s National Commissioner and Chairman of the Information and Voter Education Committee, Sam Olumeku, confirmed that as of Sunday, September 7, 2025, a total of 3,544,850 citizens had successfully completed online pre-registration since the exercise kicked off on August 18, 2025.
Breaking down the figures, Olumeku revealed that 1,709,933 (48.24%) of registrants are male, while 1,834,917 (51.76%) are female. The youth demographic dominates the turnout, with 2,291,809 (64.65%) between the ages of 18 and 34. Students accounted for 882,441 (24.89%) of the pre-registrations.
On physical registrations, which commenced nationwide on August 25, 2025, INEC reported that 288,614 Nigerians had completed the process as of Thursday, September 4, 2025.
This includes 132,634 men (45.96%) and 155,980 women (54.04%), with 215,414 (74.64%) falling in the 18–34 age bracket. Students make up 114,150 (39.55%) of those who have completed their registration.
INEC noted that it will henceforth publish both online and physical registration figures together in a single graphic for transparency. A comprehensive breakdown by state, gender, age, occupation, and disability has also been made available on its official website and social media platforms.
While appreciating citizens and organisations mobilising civic participation, the Commission issued a stern warning against underage registration.
“It is illegal for anyone to encourage underage registration or those below 18 years of age to register in anticipation that they will attain the legal age of voting by the time the general election holds in 2027,” INEC warned.
The Commission also clarified that online pre-registration is only the first step. Registrants must still appear physically at designated INEC offices to complete biometric data capture, including fingerprints.
INEC’s Director of ICT, Bayode Lawrence, explained on Channels Television’s The Morning Brief:
“For now, you can’t sort everything at home because we still need to capture your biometrics. If we are able to capture your biometrics online, then there will be no need to go to those centres. But as it stands, you must come physically for your fingerprint biometric to be captured.”
The surge in online registrations has been described by analysts as a positive sign of voter enthusiasm ahead of the 2027 general elections, particularly among youths and students.
With Nigeria’s voting population projected to cross 100 million by 2027, the ongoing CVR is expected to significantly expand the electoral roll, strengthening citizen participation in the democratic process.