Segun Atanda/
As Nigerians prepare to elect a President and National Assembly representatives on February 23, it appears the power is in the hands of the youths between 18 and 35 years of age in a nation of over 190 million people.
According to information that NewsmakersNG received from the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), this age group has 42, 938, 458 registered voters, which
Their strength, which shows that Youth is more than half the battle, is followed by that of the Middle-Age people between 36 and 50 years. That group has 25, 176, 144 registered voters, standing at 29.97 per cent of registered voters.
Then, we have the elderly of between 51 to 70 years with 12, 788, 511 registered voters, making 15.22 per cent and the Old who are 70 and above with a strength of 3, 100, 971.
NewsmakersNG also learnt from INEC that 80,004,084 persons are on the register; 39,598,645 are female – 47.14 per cent; 44, 405, 439 are male which is 52.86 per cent of the total figure.
When it was broken down to occupational distribution, students hold the ace with 22,320,990 registered voters and the closest figure to it is about half that number.
In the second position are farmers and fishermen who have 13, 630, 216, which is 16.23 per cent.
Housewives are in
Here is the table at a glance:
Occupation distribution
| SN | Occupation | Reg Voters | % Of Reg Voters |
| 1 | Artisan | 4,478,202 | 5.33 |
| 2 | Business | 10,810,006 | 12.87 |
| 3 | Civil Servant | 5,038,671 | 6 |
| 4 | Farming/Fishing | 13,630,216 | 16.23 |
| 5 | House wife | 11,844,079 | 14.10 |
| 6 | Others | 6,021,741 | 7.17 |
| 7 | Public Servant | 2,292,167 | 2.73 |
| 8 | Student | 22,320,990 | 26.57 |
| 9 | Trading | 7,568,012 | 9.01 |
| 84,004,084 | 100 |
Age Distribution
| SN | Age Group | Registered Voters | % of Reg Voters |
| 1 | Youth 18-35 | 42,938,458 | 51.11 |
| 2 | Middle Aged 36-50 | 25,176,144 | 29.97 |
| 3 | Elderly 51-70 | 12,788,511 | 15.22 |
| 4 | Old 70+ | 3,100,971 | 3,100,971 |
INEC listed the Zonal distribution of registered voters thus: South-South – 12,841,279; North Central – 13,366,007; South East – 10, 057, 130; South-West – 16,292,212; North-West – 20,158,100, and North-East – 11,289,293.
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