By Desire Uzochukwu
The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) says more than 9.32 million young Nigerians were newly registered during the 2026 Continuous Voter Registration (CVR) exercise ahead of the 2027 General Election.
INEC Chairman, Professor Joash Amupitan, disclosed the figure on Wednesday in Abuja at the investiture of nine INEC Youth Ambassadors. He was represented at the event by a National Commissioner, Professor Rhoda Gumus.
Amupitan said the number of newly registered young voters underscored the growing importance of youth participation in Nigeria’s electoral process.
“This figure reinforces the critical role of active youth participation in Nigeria’s electoral process, which also helps in shaping electoral outcomes and strengthening public confidence in the democratic process,” he said.
The INEC chairman said the appointment of the youth ambassadors was part of efforts to strengthen the Commission’s engagement with young Nigerians.
He said the ambassadors would help bridge the gap between INEC and young voters by using credible and relatable voices to communicate electoral information.
“The appointment of these distinguished young Nigerians as INEC Youth Ambassadors is therefore a deliberate step towards strengthening the connection between the Commission and the youth population,” Amupitan said.
“We believe that the youths are more likely to engage with electoral information when it is communicated through credible, relatable and influential voices within their communities and social networks.”
He urged the ambassadors to use their platforms to increase voter awareness, promote peaceful and responsible participation and counter electoral misinformation.
The Commission also tasked them with encouraging young Nigerians to take an active role in the country’s democratic process while upholding integrity, impartiality and responsible citizenship.
The nine ambassadors were drawn from the movie, music and comedy industries. Some are returning ambassadors who have served the Commission for more than a decade, while others are new appointees.
They are Amal Umar, Christopher Yohanna, popularly known as Uncle CY, Alex Kool Ibeh (Mr Kool), Mike Godson, Emmanuel Ikubese, Seun Ajayi, Ibrahim Tukur Bello (Disability Is Not Inability), Sunday Agbaji and Ambassador Thompson Ukeki.
In a separate development, INEC presented the Certificate of Return to Hon. Kallamu MaiJama’a, winner of the Gombe/Kwami/Funakaye Federal Constituency bye-election held on September 19, 2026.
The National Commissioner supervising Gombe State, Rear Admiral Jamila Abubakar Sadiq Malafa (retd.), presented the certificate to MaiJama’a on Wednesday at INEC’s headquarters in Abuja.
The member-elect commended the Commission for conducting the election, describing the exercise as free, fair and credible.
