By Faith Anisiobi, The Sight News
The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has disclosed that 9,324,349 young Nigerians were newly registered during the 2026 Continuous Voter Registration (CVR) exercise.
The Commission made the disclosure on Wednesday in Abuja during the investiture of nine returning and newly appointed INEC Youth Ambassadors as part of efforts to deepen youth engagement and participation ahead of the 2027 General Election.
INEC Chairman, Prof. Joash Amupitan, SAN, who was represented at the ceremony by National Commissioner, Prof. Rhoda Gumus, said the figure demonstrated the growing importance of youth participation in Nigeria’s electoral process.
He said the active involvement of young Nigerians was critical to strengthening democracy and public confidence in the electoral system.
According to him, the appointment of the Youth Ambassadors was a deliberate effort to strengthen the connection between INEC and young Nigerians by communicating electoral information through credible and relatable voices within their communities and social networks.
Amupitan charged the ambassadors to use their platforms to raise voter awareness, promote peaceful and responsible participation, counter electoral misinformation and encourage young Nigerians to play active roles in the democratic process.
He also urged them to uphold integrity, impartiality and responsible citizenship in the discharge of their duties.
In his welcome address, the National Commissioner and Chairman of INEC’s Outreach and Partnership Committee, Prof. Kunle Ajayi, urged the ambassadors to speak out against electoral violence and manipulation.
Ajayi cautioned young Nigerians against allowing themselves to be used for activities that could endanger their lives or disrupt the electoral process.
He also urged the ambassadors to promote accurate electoral information and responsible online engagement, noting that false information could spread rapidly before corrections could be issued.
“Verify before you amplify,” he advised the ambassadors.
In a goodwill message, the Minister of Youth Development, Hon. Ayodele Emmanuel Olawande, represented by the Deputy Director, Network and Social Mobilization Department, Mrs Lami Bature, urged the ambassadors to promote electoral awareness, peaceful participation and responsible citizenship.
She also called on them to support efforts against misinformation, disinformation and electoral violence while upholding integrity, impartiality and respect for the rule of law.
Similarly, the Director-General of the National Orientation Agency (NOA), Mallam Lanre Issa-Oniru, represented by the Director, Civic Values and Democracy Education, Dr Olukemi Afolayan, urged the ambassadors to promote civic responsibility, electoral integrity and peaceful participation ahead of the 2027 elections.
Providing a strategic overview of the initiative, the Director, Gender and Inclusivity Department, Mrs Lakunuya Dorothy Bello, said the INEC Youth Ambassadors Initiative was established in 2014 to connect the Commission with young Nigerians through credible and influential youth figures.
She said the initiative promotes voter education, informed and peaceful participation and responsible digital engagement, adding that it was being strengthened ahead of the 2027 election to reach young and first-time voters through youth-friendly platforms.
Bello said the initiative would also focus on countering misinformation, hate speech and electoral violence.
The Deputy Director, Inclusivity, Haj. Habiba Abdulkareem Jatto, said the investiture was aimed at strengthening INEC’s partnership with influential young Nigerians and promoting greater youth participation in the democratic process.
The nine ambassadors, drawn from the movie, music and comedy industries, include returning ambassadors who have served the Commission for more than a decade as well as newly appointed members.
They are Amal Umar, Christopher Yohanna (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.
The ceremony featured the presentation of certificates, plaques and ambassadorial mufflers, as well as the administration of the Oath of Commitment.
INEC Presents Certificate of Return to Gombe/Kwami/Funakaye Member-elect
Meanwhile, INEC has presented the Certificate of Return to the winner of the Gombe/Kwami/Funakaye Federal Constituency bye-election held on September 19, 2026.
The certificate was presented to the Member-elect, Hon. Kallamu MaiJama’a, by the National Commissioner supervising Gombe State, Rear Adm. Jamila Abubakar Sadiq Malafa, Mni, OFR (Rtd.), at the Commission’s headquarters in Abuja on Wednesday.
MaiJama’a commended INEC for the conduct of the election, describing the exercise as free, fair and credible.
