2023 Polls: Youth population tops age distribution chart as INEC presents list of 93.4 registered voters

The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) said there are a total of 93,469,008 eligible voters in its voters register after the final cleanup that includes the removal of double registration and underage voters.

This figure, the commission said, was arrived at after the review of 54,264 objections raised by Nigerians following the initial display of the voter register on its website in November 2022.

INEC Chairman, Mahmood Yakubu, disclosed these at a meeting with members of political parties at the commission’s headquarters in Abuja on Wednesday.

Mr Yakubu also reiterated that the 2023 elections would hold as planned as it does not contemplate any adjustment to the election timetable.

“The 2023 General Election will hold as scheduled,” he said. “Any report to the contrary is not the official position of the Commission.”

He said the security agencies have repeatedly assured the commission of adequate protection of personnel, materials and processes.

Mr Yakubu, who assured the political parties of constant engagement, also presented the demography of the eligible voters in the commissions voters register.

Demography

According to the figures he provided, the total number of eligible voters rose by 9,464,924 or 11.3 per cent from the 84,004,084 recorded in the 2019 general elections to 93,469,008 eligible voters in 2023.

Mr Yakubu said 49,054,162 or 52.5 per cent of the total voters are male while the remaining 44,414,846 or 47.5 per cent are female voters.

He added that 37,060,399 or 39.65 per cent of voters are between the ages of 18 and 34; while 33,413,591 or 35.75 per cent are middle-aged persons between the ages of 35 and 49.

The INEC chairman also said 17,700,270 or 18.94 per cent of the total registered voters are elderly voters between the ages of 50 and 69, just as the remaining 5,294,748 or 5.66 per cent are senior citizens above the age of 70.

He further revealed that students make up the largest category at 26,027,481 or 27.8 per cent of all registered voters, in terms of occupational distribution.

This is followed by Farmers/Fishermen who constitute 14,742,554 or 15.8 per cent of the total population, while 13,006,939 or 13.9 per cent identify as housewives.

While Mr Yakubu stated that the data on people living with disability was not collected during previous registrations, he revealed that the commission registered 85,362 persons with a disability during the last Continuous Voter Registration exercise.

According to him, 21,150 or 24.5 per cent are people living with Albinism; 13,387 or 15.7 per cent with physical impediments and 8,103 or 9.5 per cent are visually impaired.

Also, Lagos has the highest number of voters with 7, 060,195, followed by Kano State with 5,921,370 and Kaduna with 4,335,208 registered voters.

Ekiti State has the least registered voters with 987,647, followed by Bayelsa with 1,056,862 and Yobe with 1,485,146 registered voters.