2027: 9.3m young Nigerians join voter roll — INEC

The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has announced that more than 9.3 million young Nigerians registered as new voters during the 2026 Continuous Voter Registration exercise, putting youth participation firmly in focus ahead of the 2027 general elections.

INEC Chairman, Prof. Joash Amupitan, SAN, disclosed that 9,324,349 young Nigerians completed fresh voter registration during the exercise.

Amupitan spoke in Abuja at an event organised by the commission to deepen engagement with young Nigerians. He was represented by INEC National Commissioner, Prof. Rhoda Gumus.

According to the INEC chairman, the figure demonstrates the increasingly significant place of young people in Nigeria’s electoral process.

“This figure reinforces the critical role of active youth participation in Nigeria’s electoral process, which also helps in shaping electoral outcomes and strengthening public confidence in the democratic process,” he said.

INEC said it was expanding efforts to ensure that young Nigerians receive credible electoral information and participate responsibly in the forthcoming elections.

Amupitan urged young voters to reject misinformation and activities capable of undermining the electoral process, while encouraging them to obtain accurate information before sharing election-related content.

As part of the initiative, INEC unveiled nine Youth Ambassadors drawn from Nigeria’s entertainment and creative industries to promote voter education, peaceful participation and responsible use of social media.

National Commissioner and Chairman of INEC’s Outreach and Partnership Committee, Prof. Kunle Ajayi, warned that false election information could spread rapidly online and damage public confidence before corrections reach the same audience.

“Information now travels rapidly, and a false claim about an election can reach thousands of people before a correction is issued,” Ajayi said.

He urged the ambassadors to adopt a simple rule: “verify before you amplify.”

The newly unveiled ambassadors include Amal Umar, Christopher Yohanna, popularly known as Uncle CY; Alex Kool Ibeh, also known as Mr Kool; Mike Godson; Emmanuel Ikubese; Seun Ajayi; Ibrahim Tukur Bello; Sunday Agbaji; and Thompson Ukeki.

INEC’s announcement comes as preparations gather pace for the 2027 general elections, with the commission increasingly focusing on young Nigerians as a major segment of the electorate.