2027 Poll: Lagos leads as INEC puts registered voters at 103m

Lagos State has emerged as Nigeria’s biggest electoral battleground ahead of the 2027 general elections, with 7,488,633 registered voters, the highest figure recorded by any state in the country.

The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) disclosed this on Tuesday as it put the total number of Nigerians registered to vote in the 2027 elections at about 103 million.

INEC Chairman, Prof. Joash Amupitan, announced the figures at the commission’s World Press Conference in Abuja as part of preparations for the 2027 general elections.

The voter register shows Lagos ahead of Kano State, which has 6,000,570 registered voters, while Kaduna State occupies third position with 4,000,640.

Katsina State ranks fourth with 3,876,051 registered voters.

The figures place Lagos at the centre of political calculations ahead of the 2027 elections, given the state’s sizeable voting population and its strategic importance in national politics.

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With more than 7.4 million registered voters, Lagos has a voting population larger than that of several states combined, making the state particularly significant to presidential, governorship and legislative contests.

Amupitan said the overall registration figure reflected the level of participation in the electoral process ahead of the next general elections and reinforced Nigeria’s position as Africa’s largest democracy.

At the lower end of the register, INEC listed Ekiti State with 1,055,708 registered voters, while Bayelsa State has 1,000,200.

The Federal Capital Territory (FCT) has 1,000,732 registered voters, while Yobe and Gombe states recorded 1,733,641 and 1,768,566 respectively.

The new figures are expected to influence the strategies of political parties and candidates as they intensify preparations for the 2027 elections.

Lagos, in particular, is expected to attract heightened political attention as parties seek to mobilise its huge electorate in what is likely to be a fiercely contested election cycle.

The disclosure comes amid broader preparations by INEC, political parties, security agencies and other stakeholders, with the electoral commission pledging measures to strengthen the credibility, transparency and integrity of the 2027 polls.