The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has reaffirmed that the Continuous Voter Registration (CVR) exercise will officially end on Sunday, July 26, 2026, urging eligible Nigerians who have yet to register to do so before the deadline expires.
The commission’s position comes despite calls by some opposition political parties for an extension, citing fears that millions of eligible citizens could be excluded from participating in the 2027 general elections.
Speaking in an interview with The Punch, INEC National Commissioner, Mohammed Haruna, said the registration exercise would not be extended, explaining that the commission must begin processing and cleaning the data collected during the exercise.
According to Haruna, INEC’s Information Technology team and the Voter Registration Department will commence verification immediately after the registration window closes.
He explained that the commission would deploy its Automated Biometric Identification System to detect and eliminate multiple registrations before publishing the provisional voters’ register for claims and objections.
Haruna noted that the final number of newly registered voters would only be determined after biometric verification and the completion of the public claims and objections process.
He stressed that the commission must draw a line on registration to ensure the production of a credible and accurate voters’ register, which will later be distributed to political parties ahead of the 2027 elections.
The INEC commissioner also dismissed concerns that the closure would disenfranchise millions of Nigerians, stating that the commission could only register eligible citizens who presented themselves during the registration period.
He added that registrations were successfully conducted through the online pre-registration platform, physical registration centres and INEC offices in all 774 local government areas across the country.
Also speaking, the Chief Press Secretary to the INEC Chairman, Dayo Oketola, said ending the CVR exercise was in line with constitutional and legal provisions guiding the electoral process.
Oketola explained that the commission’s registration portal experienced no unusual pressure throughout the exercise, noting that the system was designed to accommodate applicants nationwide.
He further stated that INEC carried out extensive voter education and awareness campaigns to encourage eligible Nigerians to register before the deadline.
According to him, bringing the registration exercise to a close is necessary to enable the commission complete critical pre-election activities, adding that allowing registration to continue indefinitely would disrupt preparations for the 2027 general elections.
