Emmanuel Obi
The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has recorded more than 3.4 million new voters in the ongoing second phase of the Continuous Voter Registration exercise, with young citizens and women driving the surge.
In its week 13 update released Wednesday in Abuja, INEC reported that the exercise combines online pre-registrations and physical walk-ins at designated centres nationwide, giving eligible Nigerians flexibility in how they register.
Youth participation dominated the figures, with citizens aged 18 to 34 accounting for 2,354,768 registrants, nearly 68.5 per cent of the total. Women also led in turnout, making up 1,922,143 registrations (55.86 per cent), compared to 1,518,978 men.
Students formed the largest occupational group among new voters, totaling 1,235,931 (35.92 per cent), followed by business professionals at 701,912 and farmers and fishers at 615,967. INEC also confirmed that 48,330 Persons with Disabilities completed their registration.
State-level data showed Jigawa leading with 201,047 registrations, followed by Lagos with 181,095 and Kano with 177,681.
INEC noted that the figures remain provisional, pending data clean-up for citizens’ claims and objections, and subsequent deployment of the Automated Biometric Identification System. Registration in the Federal Capital Territory remains suspended following the Area Council Election on February 21, 2026.
