Voter registration: INEC ends exercise today as opposition demands extension

Nigeria's Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has firmly stated that the Continuous Voter Registration (CVR) exercise will conclude on Sunday, July 26, 2026. This decision comes despite significant pressure from opposition political parties and civil society organizations advocating for an extension.

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Your future won’t wait. Neither should you. The Continuous Voter Registration (CVR) exercise ends Sunday, 26 July 2026.

The opposition groups argue that an extension is crucial to prevent millions of eligible Nigerians from being disenfranchised ahead of the 2027 general elections. They expressed concerns that the current timeline is insufficient for widespread registration.

However, INEC National Commissioner Mohammed Haruna emphasized that the commission "will not extend the deadline." He explained that the closure is necessary to commence the critical "back end" processes, including data cleaning and processing. "We have to draw a line; otherwise, we won’t be able to produce a clean copy of what has been posted," Haruna stated.

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By midnight on Sunday, voter registration ends. There won’t be any extension. There are so many things that we need to do at the back end. We have to draw a line; otherwise, we won’t be able to produce a clean copy of what has been posted.

The commission plans to utilize its Automated Biometric Identification System to identify and remove duplicate registrations. Following this, the provisional voters' register will be published for claims and objections, a process mandated by the new Electoral Act. This act requires voter registration to cease 90 days before an election to allow for data cleanup, printing of Permanent Voter Cards, and other logistical preparations, ensuring the credibility of the final voter register.

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We have this automatic biometric system that will check whether somebody has registered more than once. They will publish the register for claims and objections.