By Fawaz Balogun
The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), in partnership with civic organisation 9jaCount, is set to conduct a physical voter registration exercise at the University of Ibadan and the University College Hospital (UCH) as part of preparations for the 2027 general elections.
According to a WhatsApp broadcast circulated ahead of the exercise, registration at the University of Ibadan will commence on Wednesday, June 17, and run until Friday, June 19, 2026.
The exercise is scheduled to be held daily from 8:30 AM to 2:00 PM at the Students’ Representative Council (SRC) Chamber, Kunle Adepeju Memorial Building, UI.
Speaking with IndyPress, the founder of 9jaCount, Dr. Samuel S. Tobiloba (HOST) described the exercise as an avenue to make voter registration more accessible to students while encouraging greater youth participation in the democratic process.
“We noticed that many students face challenges visiting INEC offices to complete their biometric capturing. That is why we are collaborating with INEC to bring the registration process directly to campus,” he said.
He explained that 9jaCount is a civic organisation founded by University of Ibadan alumni which focuses on governance, transparency, democracy, election monitoring, and voter sensitisation.
According to him, the registration exercise is being organised in partnership with the University of Ibadan Students’ Union, the Council of Faculty Presidents, the Council of Hall Chairpersons, Alexander Brown Hall, and other student leadership bodies.
“Our initial plan was to have them for five days, but we are still working on that. For now, we have the assurance that they will be around from Wednesday till Friday. We are doing this in partnership with the Student Union, Council of Faculty Presidents, Council of Hall Chairpersons, ABH, and other student leadership stakeholders.”
He added that volunteers would be available from 8:30 AM daily to assist students with pre-registration and other registration-related inquiries.
The organisers also advise prospective registrants to complete their online pre-registration and obtain their pre-registration number before arriving at the venue to facilitate a smoother registration process.
As part of the registration guidelines, students will be issued tally numbers after signing the attendance register. The tally numbers will determine the order in which applicants are attended to by INEC officials.
Interested students are also required to present their National Identification Number (NIN) during registration. Only individuals who are at least 18 years old are eligible to register as voters.
