INEC Records 1.2m Fresh Registrations in Ongoing CVR

The Independent National Electoral Commission has recorded over 1.2 million new voters in the second phase of its ongoing Continuous Voter Registration exercise across Nigeria.

The update was made public on Thursday through the commission’s official social media platform.

According to the commission, as of February 13, 2026, a total of 1,228,648 eligible Nigerians had completed their registration in Phase II, Week Six of the exercise.

The figure shows an increase compared to the 884,737 registrants recorded at the end of Week Five.

Data released by the commission indicates that 673,124 applicants began their registration through the online pre-registration portal, while 555,524 individuals concluded the process at physical registration centres nationwide.

A breakdown by state shows that Jigawa State recorded the highest number of new voters with 98,698 registrations, representing just over eight percent of the total. Lagos followed with 86,307 new voters, while Sokoto recorded 77,004 and Kano 71,990.

Gender statistics reveal that women account for the larger share of new registrants, with 696,891 entries, representing 57 percent. Men make up 531,757, which accounts for 43 percent of the total figure.

In terms of age distribution, young Nigerians between 18 and 34 years form the majority of the new voters. This age group accounts for 848,066 registrations, representing more than two-thirds of the total.

The commission also reported that 19,414 Persons with Disabilities have registered during the ongoing exercise.

INEC stated that the registration process is currently taking place nationwide except in the Federal Capital Territory. The exercise has been suspended there in line with the Electoral Act ahead of the Area Council elections scheduled for February 21, 2026.

Phase II of the Continuous Voter Registration began on January 5, 2026, and is expected to continue until April 2026.

It follows Phase I, which was conducted between August and December 2025, during which about 2.78 million new voters were added to the national voter register.