Nigeria's Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has announced that more than 3.5 million Nigerians have completed online pre-registration for voter cards within the first three weeks of its ongoing nationwide Continuous Voter Registration (CVR) exercise.

According to a statement released Monday by Sam Olumekun, INEC’s National Commissioner and Chairman of the Information and Voter Education Committee, a total of 3,544,850 citizens had pre-registered online as of Sunday, September 7. The exercise began on August 18, 2025, and is part of preparations for the 2027 general elections.

Women accounted for a slight majority of online registrants, making up 51.76% (1,834,917), while men represented 48.24% (1,709,933). Youths between the ages of 18 and 34 dominated the registration pool, comprising 64.65% (2,291,809) of online applicants. Students made up nearly a quarter of the total, with 882,441 individuals registering.

In addition to online figures, INEC reported that 288,614 Nigerians had completed their registration through physical, in-person appointments at designated centers since that phase began on August 25. Of these, 54.04% were female and 45.96% male. Youths again led participation, accounting for 74.64% (215,414) of completed registrations, while students represented 39.55% (114,150).

INEC stated that it will now present both online and physical registration data in a unified graphic format for public clarity. A detailed breakdown by state, gender, age, occupation, and disability status is available on the Commission’s official platforms.

The Commission reiterated that only Nigerian citizens aged 18 and above are eligible to register. It warned that encouraging underage registration is illegal, even if the individuals are expected to reach voting age by the 2027 elections.

“Online registration alone is not sufficient to complete the process,” INEC emphasized. To obtain a Permanent Voter Card (PVC), registrants must visit INEC offices for biometric data capture, including fingerprint verification.

INEC Director of ICT, Bayode Lawrence, clarified that while online systems streamline the process, physical biometric capture remains essential.

The Commission also reminded the public that PVCs will only be issued at INEC offices and not through remote or third-party channels.