The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has revealed that a total of 2,532,062 Nigerians pre-registered online in the ongoing Continuous Voter Registration (CVR) exercise within two weeks.

INEC National Commissioner and Chairman, Information and Voter Education Committee, Sam Olumekun, in a statement issued Tuesday, reiterated that these are pre-registration figures from INEC’s dedicated CVR portal.

He explained that the introduction of the pre-registration option in 2021 has enabled Nigerians to commence the online process from anywhere in the world 24 hours a day including weekends.

However, Olumekun emphasised that all online pre-registrants are required to appear physically to complete the process in 811 state and local government offices nationwide where their fingerprints and facial biometric details will be captured.

He noted that this instruction is clearly stated on the online portal, while urging all online pre-registrants to complete the process in-person at the INEC designated registration centres without which the online process alone is invalid.

Olumekun added: “The commission met in regular session today, Tuesday, 2nd September, 2025. Among other issues, it considered the report of the ongoing nationwide Continuous Voter Registration (CVR) for both the online and in-person registration of voters.

“The exercise, which started on Monday 18th August 2025, is now in its second week. As at Sunday, 31st August, 2025, a total of 2,532,062 Nigerians pre-registered online.

“Last week, the commission published the detailed breakdown of the figure at the end of Week One of the exercise.

“The cumulative figure at the end of Week Two shows that 1,218,482 (48.12 per cent) are male and 1,313,580 (51.88 per cent) are female. In terms of age and occupation, the majority – 1,602,484 (63.29 per cent) – are between the ages of 18 and 34, while 647,528 (25.57 per cent) are students.”

Olumekun stressed that the commission was aware that there were Nigerians who have no access to online facilities or those who prefer to register in-person.

Consequently, he said INEC staff have been deployed to attend to eligible citizens at the commission’s 811 state and local government offices nationwide where they can simultaneously begin and complete their registration.

He emphasized that the centres are open from 9.00am – 3.00pm daily (Monday to Friday).

Olumekun said: “The in-person registration commenced on Monday, 25th August, 2025. Within five days as at Friday, 29th August, 2025, a total 72,274 citizens have either completed the pre-registration process or registered afresh out of which 35,622 (49.29 per cent) are male and 36,652 (50.71 per cent) are female.

“In terms of age and occupation, majority of them – 54,718 (75.71 per cent) – are between the ages of 18 and 34, while 30,953 (42.83 per cent) are students.

“Graphic details of the distribution of registrants at the end of Week Two of the online and Week One of the in-person registrations by state, gender, age, occupation and disability have been uploaded to our website and other official platforms for public information.” (THISDAY)

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