INEC records 573,395 new voters as BVAS shines in FCT test

By Kazeem Ugbodaga

The Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, has announced that a total of 573,395 Nigerians have completed voter registration under Phase II, Week Four of the Continuous Voter Registration (CVR) exercise as of 30 January, 2026.

According to figures released by INEC, 281,502 registrants completed their registration through the online pre-registration platform, while 291,893 finalised the process physically at CVR centres across the country.

The data further showed that 247,741 registrants (43 per cent) were male, while 325,654 (57 per cent) were female.

INEC also recorded 10,618 Persons with Disabilities (PWDs) among the new registrants.

Meanwhile, INEC Chairman, Prof. Joash Amupitan, has expressed satisfaction with the Commission’s level of preparedness ahead of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Area Council elections scheduled for 21 February 2026.

Amupitan on Saturday led senior officials of the Commission to monitor a mock accreditation exercise in the FCT, alongside the ongoing Training-of-Trainers (ToT) programme for Supervisory Presiding Officers (SPOs).

Addressing participants during the exercise, the INEC Chairman stressed the need for strict compliance with the training manual to guarantee uniformity in election procedures across all area councils.

He commended election officials for their commitment, describing their service as a sacrifice to nation-building despite modest remuneration, and expressed optimism that their efforts would eventually receive national recognition.

Amupitan also assessed the performance of the Bimodal Voter Accreditation System (BVAS), noting that accreditation took less than five seconds per voter and that the system successfully blocked multiple accreditation attempts.

He observed that political party agents were present to monitor the exercise, adding that although civil society organisations were not in attendance, the mock accreditation remained a critical platform for testing operational readiness and increasing voter awareness ahead of the polls.

INEC reiterated its commitment to delivering a credible and transparent electoral process as preparations intensify for the FCT Area Council elections.