The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has announced that over 103 million have been registered ahead of the 2027 general elections.

INEC chairman Joash Anuputan disclosed this during a workshop on Monday in Abuja, noting that the collection of permanent voter cards will commence on Friday.

The workshop, which was themed “Strengthening Democracy Through Partnership Among Editors, Civil Society and Electoral Institutions” and organised in collaboration with the Development Alternatives Incorporated (DAI) and the Nigerian Guild of Editors (NGE), aimed to strengthen collaboration between the electoral management body, the media and civil society ahead of the 2027 elections.

Mr Amupitan noted that the commission’s three-phase continuous voter registration exercise had attracted more than 10.6 million new applicants, while the public display of the preliminary register for claims and objections had been completed.

He explained that the commission had also completed the final Automated Biometric Identification System (ABIS) cleanup of the register.

“The disclosure was particularly important as the country approaches the 2027 general elections, with INEC working to ensure that the electoral process is transparent, technology-driven and credible,” Mr Amupitan said.

The INEC chief further said the commission was committed to continuously improving the Bimodal Voter Accreditation System (BVAS) and the INEC Result Viewing Portal (IReV) to ensure that every valid vote counts and is seen to count.

He identified public trust as the ultimate determinant of electoral credibility, highlighting the need for operational efficiency among electoral stakeholders.

Mr Amupitan added, “The ultimate arbiter of electoral integrity is public trust.”

While calling for a stronger partnership between INEC, editors, civil society organisations and other stakeholders, the INEC boss noted that the commission was prepared to listen to editorial concerns, address operational challenges and provide timely information to prevent misinformation from filling communication gaps.

He also urged newsrooms to establish digital fact-verification desks. He pledged that INEC would give editors direct access to verify field incidents, logistical developments, and security reports in real time.

In his remarks, the president of the Nigerian Guild of Editors, Eze Anaba, said the workshop was timely given the country’s proximity to another general election.

Mr Anaba added that elections were not merely about casting ballots but about citizens having confidence that their votes would count and that the institutions conducting elections would act fairly and professionally.