By: Peter Emmanuel |
The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has projected that Nigeria’s registered voter population will exceed 100 million ahead of the 2027 general elections.
The National Commissioner and Chairman of INEC’s Information and Voter Education Committee (IVEC), 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 existing voter register had more than 93 million registered voters, adding that the figure was expected to cross the 100 million mark after the recently concluded nationwide Continuous Voter Registration (CVR) exercise is finalised.
He said the projected increase would further position Nigeria as Africa’s largest electoral democracy.
The meeting was held to develop a communication and inclusivity roadmap for the 2027 general elections, with emphasis on free, fair, credible, peaceful and inclusive polls.
Voter Register Set to Cross 100m
Haruna said the final number of registered voters would rise significantly once INEC completes the process of compiling and updating the voter register from the recent CVR exercise.
He said the growing voter population would require effective communication to ensure that eligible citizens receive accurate information ahead of the elections.
Haruna noted that INEC’s information officers would have a major role to play in reaching voters across the country.
He said the commission must provide timely and accessible information to mobilise Nigerians of voting age to participate in the five sets of elections scheduled for the 2027 general elections.
He urged INEC communication officers to remain professional and ensure that electoral information was presented in clear and simple language.
INEC Plans Communication Strategy for 2027
Haruna said INEC’s communication strategy would focus on providing the public with accurate, timely and factual information before and during the elections.
He urged information officers to develop the skills needed to communicate electoral matters effectively while ensuring that their messages remained civil and factual.
According to him, INEC officials must have a good understanding of the Constitution, electoral laws and the commission’s guidelines.
He also urged them to familiarise themselves with other relevant legislation, including the Freedom of Information Act and the Data Protection Act.
The meeting brought together officials from the Voter Education and Publicity and Gender and Inclusivity departments to develop an actionable roadmap for voter education, publicity and inclusivity ahead of the 2027 polls.
Commission Builds on Recent Election Experience
Haruna said INEC would draw lessons from recent off-cycle elections as it prepares for the 2027 general elections.
He specifically referred to the recently concluded Osun State governorship election as part of the experiences the commission would use to improve its preparations.
He said the lessons from the elections would help the commission strengthen its communication and electoral processes.
Haruna expressed the hope that the commission would deliver what he described as the freest and most credible general elections in the country’s history.
Speaking at the meeting, INEC’s Chief Press Secretary, Adedayo Oketola, said the commission, under its Chairman, Prof. Joash Amupitan, remained committed to credible and inclusive elections, adding that the outcome of the meeting would provide an actionable communication and inclusivity roadmap for the 2027 elections.
Share this
