The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has announced that 1,379,342 Nigerians completed online pre-registration for voter cards within the first week of the exercise.

According to a statement signed by the National Commissioner and Chairman, Information and Voter Education Committee, Sam Olumekun, the online pre-registration commenced on Monday, 18th August 2025, and by Sunday, 24th August 2025, the figure had crossed the 1.3 million mark.

INEC’s breakdown shows that 661,846 registrants (47.96 percent) are male, while 717,856 (52.04 percent) are female. Young Nigerians between the ages of 18 and 34 accounted for 62.37 percent of the total, numbering 860,286. Students made up the largest occupational group with 374,534 registrants, while 27,089 persons with disability also registered.

Meanwhile, the Commission confirmed that in-person registration has commenced nationwide across its 811 state and local government offices. This option allows citizens who prefer physical registration to do so, while those who pre-registered online can complete the process.

Olumekun stressed that the exercise is strictly for eligible Nigerian citizens who are at least 18 years old and not yet registered, warning that double or multiple registrations remain a violation of the law. He explained that inter- and intra-state transfers, as well as replacement of lost or damaged voter cards, would also be processed during the Continuous Voter Registration (CVR).

The CVR exercise will last for one year, ending on 30th August 2026. However, INEC urged intending registrants not to delay until the deadline, warning that past experience shows last-minute rushes often overwhelm registration centres with appeals for extension.