INEC chairman, Mahmood Yakubu
The Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission, Prof. Mahmood Yakubu, on Tuesday, revealed that Nigeria’s registered voter population surpasses that of all 14 other countries in the West African subregion combined by over 10 million.
As of the 2023 general elections, Nigeria had over 93 million registered voters, compared to the 74 million across the rest of West Africa.
Yakubu who spoke during a visit by the European Union Ambassador to Nigeria and West Africa, Samuela Isopi, stressed the immense scale of Nigeria’s electoral process.
He noted that organising a general election in Nigeria is comparable to conducting elections for the entire West African region and part of Central Africa.
“There are 74 million registered voters in West Africa. In 2023, we had 93 million registered workers in Nigeria, which is almost 10 million more than the other 14 countries put together.
“So each time Nigerians go to the polls, it’s like conducting elections for the whole of West Africa and part of Central Africa,” Yakubu remarked.
He highlighted the substantial voter registration figures during the recent Continuous Voter Registration exercise.
For instance, Nigeria registered about 119,000 voters in Edo State alone, and an additional 55,000 in Ondo State, totaling 177,000 new voters. In contrast, Ghana registered only 70,000 new voters nationwide during a similar exercise.
“In fact, recently, the Electoral Commission in Ghana conducted the equivalent of what we call the Continuous Voter Registration.
“In Ghana, they call it a mock-up to enable citizens who have come of age or those who could not register for one reason or another in the past to register.
“One of the targets of the Electoral Commission in Ghana was to register 70,000 new voters nationwide. But here, in the last Continuous Voter Registration in Edo State alone, we registered 119,000 new voters.
“The additional 55,000 in Ondo State, put together, we registered 177,000. Three times more than what our colleagues in Ghana hoped to register under their own CVR,” he said.
Yakubu reiterated INEC’s commitment to collaborating with relevant stakeholders to further enhance the electoral process and deepen democracy in Nigeria.
Isopi, whose tenure in Nigeria ends on Friday, underscored the importance of supporting democracy in Africa, particularly in the current climate where democratic institutions are facing significant challenges across the region.
She lauded Nigeria as the largest democracy on the African continent and emphasized the European Union’s continued support for the country’s democratic journey.
“All democracies in the world, including our own, face challenges. The journey is not necessarily always in one direction. We all face these challenges. And we have an interest in working together to see how we can strengthen democracy because strengthening democracy in Europe, strengthening democracy in Nigeria means strengthening democracy worldwide.
“We know how important the example that Nigeria can give to other countries here. As I said, I think we have gone a long way. Maybe not everything is perfect, but even elsewhere, many things are not perfect.
“I cannot leave without saying a farewell visit to Mr. Chairman and without saying a farewell visit to INEC which is part, as you know, of the European Union’s main partner here in Nigeria,” Isopi noted.
