INEC Expands Voter Registration to 69 Centres Across FCT Wards

Daniel Otera

As Nigeria gears up for the 2026 Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Area Council elections, the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has taken a bold step to deepen democratic participation by decentralising voter registration to the ward level. This move, announced on 5th September 2025, extends physical registration to all 62 wards in the FCT, creating 69 centres from the previous seven, to bring the process closer to communities. With the exercise set to run from Monday, 29th September to Wednesday, 8th October 2025, and online pre-registration suspended from 15th September 2025, INEC’s strategy aims to address Nigeria’s historically low voter turnout while navigating logistical and legal constraints.

The decision to devolve voter registration to ward levels is consistent with the Independent National Electoral Commission’s (INEC) established policy for off-cycle elections. This approach was previously adopted during preparations for the 2024 Edo and Ondo governorship elections and is now being extended to the upcoming November 2025 Anambra governorship election. According to INEC’s National Commissioner, Sam Olumekun, this measure is aimed at ensuring wider access and inclusivity in the voter registration process, particularly in states and regions preparing for major elections. Reports from the News Agency of Nigeria, published by People’s Gazette and The Eagle Online, confirm that this policy continuity underscores INEC’s commitment to strengthening electoral participation by making registration more accessible at the grassroots level. According to INEC’s National Commissioner and Chairman of the Information and Voter Education Committee, Sam Olumekun,

“This decision is in line with our policy as we approach major off-cycle elections as was done ahead of the Edo and Ondo governorship elections last year and more recently in Anambra State for the forthcoming governorship election”.

The expansion from INEC’s FCT office and six Area Council offices to 69 ward-level centres reflects a deliberate effort to reduce barriers like distance and cost, which have historically suppressed voter registration.

At the national level, approximately 54.3 percent of Nigeria’s population lived in urban areas in 2023, while 45.7 percent resided in rural settings. Although official figures specific to the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) are not published, the territory’s total population was projected at about 3.07 million in 2022.

In terms of electoral participation, the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) registered 1,570,307 voters in the FCT ahead of the 2023 general election. This represents slightly over half of the estimated population, underscoring both the growth of eligible voters in the territory and the logistical challenges of extending registration and electoral services across diverse urban and peri-urban communities.

This initiative comes at a critical juncture. Nigeria’s voter turnout has been a persistent concern, with the 2023 general election recording just 26.7 per cent participation, one of the lowest in Africa, according to the National Institute for Legislative and Democratic Studies (NILDS). Independent data also corroborates this, with Wikipedia’s general election record putting turnout at 26.71 per cent.

The Federal Capital Territory (FCT), despite its urban status, mirrored this trend. INEC’s official post-election report on the 2022 Area Council elections shows that only 18.08 per cent of registered voters participated, underscoring the scale of voter apathy.

“We appeal to all eligible citizens who are not registered voters to seize the opportunity of the devolution of the exercise to Ward level in the FCT to register”.

In Anambra State, INEC extended CVR to all 326 wards during July 2025. The exercise yielded 168,187 new voter applications, of which 27,817 duplicates were removed, resulting in 140,370 valid new registrants. Coupled with 5,983 approved transfers, the total addition stood at 146,353 voters.

INEC suspended online pre-registration in the FCT effective 15 September 2025, making in-person completion mandatory to validate online attempts. The CVR exercise was devolved to all 62 wards, totaling 69 centres, and will run from 29 September to 8 October 2025.

This arrangement complies with Section 9(6) of the Electoral Act 2022, which mandates that voter registration must end at least 90 days before elections. The FCT Area Council election is scheduled for 21 February 2026.

Logistical enhancements are at the heart of INEC’s new approach to voter registration. Following the launch of its Continuous Voter Registration (CVR) portal on August 18, 2025, the platform attracted over 26,000 visits within the first few hours, according to INEC officials (Punch). This surge in traffic underscores the growing interest of citizens in updating their registration details, tracking their Permanent Voter Cards (PVCs), and initiating transfers. The Commission has argued that the digital platform was designed to ease pressure on physical centres while providing real-time information to voters who would otherwise face long queues.

However, accessibility challenges remain, especially in rural communities. To address this, INEC has experimented with measures to decentralize registration. In Kwara State, for example, the Commission converted 1,015 voting points into full polling units in 2021. This expansion brought registration closer to remote communities and reduced overcrowding in urban wards. Analysts have since suggested that such strategies could serve as a template for other states, particularly in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), where rapid urbanisation and uneven infrastructure complicate voter access.

Economic and social realities further shape the urgency of this registration drive. According to the World Bank’s 2024 Nigeria Development Update, 30.9% of Nigerians live below the national poverty line, reflecting limited income and constrained mobility. This figure is compounded by wider humanitarian concerns. In late 2024, Reuters reported that up to 40% of Nigerians faced poverty or food insecurity, exacerbated by flooding and rising food prices. These pressures discourage citizens from travelling long distances to register, particularly when transport costs compete with household necessities. By bringing voter registration to the ward level, INEC reduces these barriers, ensuring that economic disadvantage does not translate into political exclusion.

The political implications of these efforts are significant. Nigeria has struggled with low voter turnout in recent cycles, with many citizens either unable or unwilling to participate. Reducing the economic and logistical burdens of registration is therefore central to reversing this trend. Moreover, Nigeria’s efforts must be viewed in a regional context. Countries such as Ghana achieved 87% ward-level voter registration coverage in 2020, while Nigeria’s coverage stood at 44% as of 2023, according to independent election monitoring groups. The gap illustrates the need for Nigeria to intensify reforms ahead of the 2027 general elections.

In this light, the CVR portal and decentralisation of polling units are not just operational upgrades but potential turning points for democratic inclusion. They reflect INEC’s recognition that voter registration is both a logistical and socio-economic challenge one that requires bridging digital innovations with on-the-ground realities. If sustained and scaled, these reforms could redefine Nigeria’s electoral landscape and improve citizen participation across diverse social and economic groups.