Jigawa Surges Ahead! INEC’s Fresh Voter Registration Figures Spark Buzz

An official update shared via the commission’s handle indicated that 1,228,648 eligible citizens had fully registered under Phase II, Week Six—up sharply from 884,737 at the end of Week Five.

Of the total, 673,124 began the process through online pre-registration, while 555,524 completed their registration in person at designated centres nationwide. INEC described the increase as a clear sign of growing public engagement ahead of upcoming elections.

Jigawa, Lagos, Sokoto, Kano Lead the Pack

State-level figures showed Jigawa State recorded the highest number of new registrants at 98,698, accounting for 8.03% of the total. Lagos followed with 86,307, Sokoto with 77,004, and Kano with 71,990.

INEC also provided demographic insights: 696,891 registrants were female (57%), while 531,757 were male (43%). Youths aged 18–34 made up 848,066 registrants (69.02%), and 19,414 persons with disabilities (PWDs) completed registration nationwide. These figures highlight strong participation among women and young Nigerians, who constitute the bulk of new voters.

The commission noted that the exercise is ongoing nationwide, except in the Federal Capital Territory, where it has been temporarily suspended in line with regulations ahead of the February 21, 2026, Area Council elections.

Phase II of the CVR began on January 5, 2026, and is set to run until April 2026. This phase builds on Phase I, which ran from August to December 2025 and added approximately 2.78 million voters to the national register.