WorldStage— The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), has projected that Nigeria’s registered voter population will surpass 100 million ahead of the 2027 general elections.
The National Commissioner and Chairman of INEC’s Information and Voter Education Committee (IVEC), Mallam Mohammed Haruna, disclosed this on Tuesday in Abuja at the Commission’s Joint Implementation Meeting of the Departments of Voter Education and Publicity (VEP) and Gender and Inclusivity (G&I).
Haruna said the meeting was aimed at developing a communication and inclusivity roadmap for the 2027 general elections to ensure that the polls are free, fair, credible, peaceful and inclusive.
He said the voter register, which currently stands at more than 93 million, was expected to cross the 100 million mark when the recently concluded nationwide Continuous Voter Registration (CVR) exercise is finalised.
According to him, the development would further position Nigeria as the largest electoral democracy in Africa.
With 151 days to the first phase of the 2027 general elections, Haruna charged INEC information officers to deploy effective communication strategies capable of mobilising eligible voters to participate in the polls.
“Our job is to give the widest and most effective publicity to all five sets of elections to mobilise all Nigerians of voting age to choose their leaders. This job is at once simple and complex,” he said.
Haruna stressed the need for information officers to maintain high professional standards and acquire adequate knowledge of relevant laws and electoral procedures.
He urged officers to communicate in simple and civil language while having a firm understanding of the Constitution, Electoral Act and INEC guidelines.
He also listed the Freedom of Information Act and Data Protection Act among other relevant legislation that information officers should understand.
Haruna said the successes recorded in recent off-cycle elections, including the Osun governorship election, had raised the bar and required greater efforts to deliver the freest and most credible general elections in Nigeria’s history.
The Chief Press Secretary to the INEC Chairman, Mr Adedayo Oketola, said the Commission, under Prof. Joash Amupitan, remained committed to delivering credible and inclusive elections and implementing the outcome of the meeting.
Oketola described the joint meeting as timely and critical to developing an actionable communication and inclusivity roadmap for the 2027 elections.
He said while technology and logistics remained the backbone of electoral administration, the VEP and G&I departments constituted the human face and voice of the Commission.
“You build public trust, simplify complex procedures, and ensure that no eligible citizen is left behind,” he said.
Oketola, however, warned that misinformation and disinformation posed significant threats to voter confidence and participation ahead of the 2027 elections.
He said the response must be proactive, factual and continuous public engagement.
“Our messaging must move beyond traditional announcement-style publicity into aggressive, daily civic education that demystifies our technology, such as the Bimodal Voter Accreditation System (BVAS) and INEC Results Viewing (IReV), and reinforces the integrity of the open secret ballot system,” he said.
On inclusivity, Oketola said electoral access for persons with disabilities, women, youths and elderly voters remained a constitutional right.
He said the 2027 elections must set a new benchmark in electoral accessibility through measures such as the deployment of Braille ballot guides and magnifying glasses, priority queues for vulnerable voters and increased youth participation through CVR.
Also speaking, the Director of Voter Education and Publicity, Mrs Victoria Eta-Messi, said the Commission’s grassroots voter sensitisation and enlightenment efforts depended largely on the capacity and effectiveness of VEP heads in the 36 states and the Federal Capital Territory.
Eta-Messi said the implementation meeting would provide clarity, direction and uniformity in the execution of voter education and publicity programmes.
“The off-cycle governorship elections are out of the way, and what lies ahead is the 2027 general election, and going by the line of activities of both departments, this meeting takes precedence and sets the tone for what lies ahead,” she said.
She said the meeting would enable participants to review Commission-approved activities, strategies for implementation, timelines and expectations ahead of the general elections.
Heads of the VEP and G&I departments from the 36 states and the FCT attended the meeting.
