Northern states in the country have begun voter mobilization as southern states continue to lead online pre-registration in the ongoing nationwide Continuous Voter Registration (CVR) exercise.

Kano, Kaduna, Yobe, Zamfara, Sokoto and Ilorin, among others, are part of the states that have begun renewed efforts to mobilize eligible citizens for the exercise.

The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has announced that over 3.5 million Nigerians have completed the online pre-registration.

The update was provided in a press release issued on Monday by the National Commissioner and Chairman, Information and Voter Education Committee, Sam Olumekun.

“As of Sunday, September 7, 2025, a total of 3,544,850 Nigerians have now pre-registered online in three weeks since the commencement of the exercise on 18th August 2025,” Olumekun said.

A breakdown by state showed that Osun recorded the highest number of online pre-registrants with 518,635, representing 14.63 percent of the total. Lagos followed with 440,647 (12.43 percent), Ogun with 348,217 (9.82 percent), and Borno with 296,409 (8.36 percent). Kebbi recorded 193,781 (5.47 percent), while Kaduna and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) accounted for 187,480 (5.29 percent) and 180,260 (5.09 percent) respectively.

Yobe had 173,731 (4.90 percent), followed by Kogi with 166,010 (4.68 percent), Oyo with 160,652 (4.53 percent), and Kwara with 78,245 (2.21 percent). Ekiti followed with 74,423 (2.10 percent), Kano with 66,091 (1.86 percent), Delta with 62,192 (1.75 percent), and Imo with 61,341 (1.73 percent).

Sokoto recorded 54,084 (1.53 percent), Jigawa 48,285 (1.36 percent), Bauchi 46,504 (1.31 percent), Katsina 47,220 (1.33 percent), and Niger 62,819 (1.77 percent). Zamfara followed with 32,784 (0.92 percent), Plateau with 32,000 (0.90 percent), and Akwa Ibom with 31,081 (0.88 percent).

Cross River had 22,938 (0.65 percent), Benue 20,786 (0.59 percent), Rivers 19,294 (0.54 percent), and Gombe 18,630 (0.53 percent). Taraba registered 17,324 (0.49 percent), Bayelsa 13,374 (0.38 percent), and Ondo 9,033 (0.25 percent).

Adamawa recorded 8,849 (0.25 percent), Edo 7,893 (0.22 percent), Abia 2,629 (0.07 percent), Ebonyi 1,616 (0.05 percent), and Enugu the lowest with 1,203 (0.03 percent).

The majority of registrants — 2,291,809 or 64.65 percent — are between the ages of 18 and 34. Students make up 24.89 percent (882,441) of the total online registrants.

From the onset of the exercise, which began on August 18, Osun, Lagos and Ogun states have consistently occupied the top spots. In the first week of the CVR, Osun led with 393,269 online registrations, followed closely by Lagos and Ogun.

The second-week update saw the figures surge further, with Osun climbing to 474,372, Lagos reaching 355,372 and Ogun over 265,000.

The upward trend persisted into the third week, with Osun crossing the half-million mark and Lagos and Ogun maintaining their strong positions.

In contrast, Northern states, including some of the most populous, have struggled to match these numbers.

Kano, despite its size and political relevance, has only recorded around 66,091 online registrations. Kaduna fared slightly better, with over 187,480 entries, while Plateau remained low at approximately 32,000. Other states in the region have reported similar modest figures, a development that has stirred concern among political actors and community leaders.

The gap has triggered a response from northern stakeholders, who are now stepping up efforts to mobilize eligible residents.

Community-based organizations, religious leaders, and local officials in parts of the North have reportedly begun sensitization campaigns aimed at increasing awareness and participation in the CVR process.

Recall that two opposition parties—the African Democratic Congress and the Labour Party had questioned the validity of the high registration numbers from the South-West, particularly Osun State.

The ADC, in a statement by its Acting National Publicity Secretary, Bolaji Abdullahi, called for a forensic audit of the figures, alleging that the numbers contradicted historical trends and demographic data.

The party highlighted INEC’s report on August 25, which showed 393,269 new registrations in Osun alone.

The LP’s Interim National Publicity Secretary, Tony Akeni, also urged Nigerians to scrutinize INEC’s claims closely, warning that such anomalies should not be ignored.

INEC, however, dismissed the allegations, describing them as unfounded. The Chief Press Secretary to the INEC Chairman, Rotimi Oyekanmi, said the parties’ concerns stemmed from a lack of understanding of historical voter registration patterns.

In addition to the online entries, the commission reported that physical (in-person) registrations — which began on August 25 — had reached 288,614 as of September 4.

The commission reminded the public that registration was only open to Nigerian citizens who are at least 18 years old and have not registered previously.

“However, we wish to reiterate that voter registration is only open to citizens who are 18 years or older at the time of registration.

“It is illegal for anyone to encourage underage registration or those below 18 years of age to register in anticipation that they will attain the legal age of voting by the time the general election is held in 2027,” the statement added.

Kano State Governor, Abba Kabir Yusuf, has expressed his administration’s determination to make the state the leading sub-national entity with the highest number of registered voters in the country.

Yusuf gave the assurance when he received briefings on Sunday from the Task Force on Mobilization for Voter Registration, recently inaugurated to drive the exercise.

The development was contained in a statement issued by the Director of Internal Affairs, Usman Bello, on behalf of the Commissioner for Information and Internal Affairs, Ibrahim Waiya.

“I assure you of my total support in undertaking this critical assignment. Our resolve is to strengthen democracy by ensuring that no eligible citizen is left out of the process,” Yusuf said.

Earlier, the Deputy Governor, Aminu Abdulsalam, disclosed that he had met with INEC’s Resident Electoral Commissioner in Kano to assess preparations for the exercise.

“The mobilization effort is driven by patriotism and a commitment to the development of our dear state,” Waiya said.

The Zamfara State Government has also set up a committee aimed at mobilizing the people of the state to go out and register.

The Special Assistant to Governor Dauda Lawal on Media and Communications, Mustafa Kaura, revealed this while speaking with The PUNCH.

Kaura stressed that the state government had observed with dismay the nonchalant attitude of the people of the state towards the exercise, and as such, set up a committee under the state’s Deputy Governor to go round the state to mobilize people on the importance of the exercise.

He said, “As the state government observed that, many people are not even aware of the ongoing permanent voters’ card registration. The state government has set up a committee under the leadership of the state deputy governor to go out for a sensitization campaign so that all the eligible voters are not left behind in the exercise.”

Also, last week, Nasarawa State Governor, Abdullahi Sule, decried the low participation of residents across the state in the CVR exercise.

Sule lamented about the situation on Wednesday in Lafia, the state capital, during the official flag off of the state’s All Progressives Congress grassroots sensitization/voters education on the INEC CVR.

The Governor, who was represented by his Deputy, Emmanuel Akabe said, “If you look at the charts that were published, Nasarawa State is still down below among states in the country, in the ongoing INEC’s CVR process. So, this is an opportunity for us to go back to our constituencies, our wards, our polling units and encourage our people to register so that they will be able to vote during the 2027 general election.”

The Kaduna State Governor, Senator Uba Sani, has also launched a mobilization drive to ensure that every eligible citizen in the state participates in the voter registration exercise, describing it as “a pivotal moment in consolidating democracy and strengthening inclusive governance.”

The Governor’s directive was conveyed on Monday in Kaduna by the state Commissioner for Information, Mallam Ahmed Maiyaki.

“His Excellency, the Governor of Kaduna State, has directed that no eligible citizen should be left behind in this crucial exercise. This is not only about participation; it is about securing the democratic rights of our people and deepening inclusive governance.

“To this end, the Ministry of Information is working in close collaboration with the Ministry of Local Government Affairs, the Bureau of Religious Affairs, as well as our revered traditional and religious leaders, to ensure that awareness and mobilization reach every ward, village, and community in Kaduna State,” Maiyaki stated.

In Kwara State, government officials and political appointees have taken the campaign to rural communities to sensitize residents on the importance of registering ahead of the 2027 general election.

The state Commissioner for Communications, Bolanle Olukoju, told The PUNCH on Monday that the mobilization drive was a mix of official campaigns and personal advocacies by stakeholders.

“Advocacy is ongoing, and many people are doing so in their personal capacity. I have done mine in my ward, Oro, in Irepodun LGA. Kwara is one of the states that delivered 100 per cent to the APC,” she said.

Olukoju explained that appointees were moving into the hinterlands to engage locals directly.

“What we are doing is to meet the people where they are. We tell them to come out and register. We are rallying people, despite the fact that it is their civic right. Our focus is on enlightening them on the need to register so they can have a say in the governance of their state,” she added.

The mobilization comes as fresh figures from the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) show that the South continues to maintain a lead in voter registration numbers, with the North trailing behind despite its larger population spread.

Political observers say the disparity could have significant implications for future elections if northern states fail to close the gap before the registration exercise winds down.

The Yobe State Government, in collaboration with MMB e-Campaign & Voters Education Directorate, has organized a training programme for voter registration volunteers.

The initiative, according to Amb. Dr. Adam Mohammed of the MMB e-Campaign & Voters Education Directorate, aims to equip 200 youths with the necessary skills to assist citizens during the ongoing continuous voter registration exercise in the state.

He said, “The trained volunteers will be deployed to the 17 local government areas and 178 wards across the state to provide assistance to citizens with the online registration process.

“The collaboration will enable members of the Yobe State community, both in urban and rural areas, to have easy access to resources and assistance for online registration,” he explained.

The Bauchi State Government disclosed that it was not interfering with the ongoing CVR exercise in the state.

The Special Adviser on Media and Publicity to Governor Bala Mohammed, Mukhtar Gidado, stated this in response to inquiries from The PUNCH on whether the state government would ensure massive mobilization for the exercise.

According to him, the voter registration campaign and exercise are solely under the control of INEC.

“The campaign and registration are handled by INEC. It will be inappropriate for us as a government to interfere,” Gidado said.

The Chairman of the All Progressive Congress in Benue State, Benjamin Omale, has stated that the state governor, Hyacinth Alia, is leading the campaign to mobilize residents of the state to participate in the voter registration exercise.

Speaking with our correspondent in a telephone chat on Monday, Omale said the party was also involved in the mobilization of people of the state for the exercise.

Omale said, “Our governor, His Excellency, Hyacinth Alia, is intensifying efforts to see that all eligible citizens of the state are registered.

“The party is also doing enough mobilization for all residents of the state who are 18 years and above to participate in the ongoing voters registration.”

In the same vein, the deputy speaker of Benue State House of Assembly, Lami Danladi-Ogenyi, said she already set up a mobilization committee to ensure that people of the state, particularly, her constituency, participate in the ongoing registration exercise.

The Kebbi State Government called on eligible citizens across the state to actively participate in the exercise to strengthen democratic participation.

The Chief Press Secretary to the Governor, Ahmed Idris, while speaking with our correspondent on Monday, urged residents to take advantage of the window provided by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to register, update, or transfer their voter details.

“His Excellency is appealing to all eligible Kebbi citizens to make themselves available at the designated registration centres. Democracy works best when everyone participates, and every vote counts,” Idris stated.

The Gombe State Government has pledged to work closely with INEC to ensure more citizens participate in the CVR exercise.

He gave this assurance at a stakeholders’ meeting organized by INEC in Gombe. (The PUNCH)

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