Extend voter registration—Obi asks INEC

Peter Obi, presidential candidate of the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC), has urged the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to further extend the deadline for the continuous voter registration (CVR) exercise.

Obi made the appeal in a statement on Thursday, ahead of July 26 deadline for the closure of the nationwide registration exercise.

INEC resumed the second phase of the CVR exercise in January 2026 following the conclusion of the first phase on December 10, 2025.

On July 3, the commission extended the exercise, initially scheduled to end on July 10, to July 26, following feedback from its state offices, political parties, civil society organisations (CSOs), and other stakeholders.

Announcing the extension, Mohammed Haruna, chairman of INEC’s information and voter education committee, in a statement, said the decision was reached after a review of the ongoing exercise.

However, Obi appealed to the commission to extend the registration period to the latest practicable date that would still allow adequate time to prepare a credible voters’ register ahead of the 2027 general election.

“As we continue to encourage Nigerians to participate actively in our democracy, I respectfully appeal to INEC to consider extending the voter registration window to the latest practical date that still allows adequate time for the preparation of a credible voters’ register before the 2027 general elections,” he said.
The former Anambra governor noted that more Nigerians attain the age of 18 daily and should not be denied the opportunity to register and vote because the exercise ends long before the election.

“Every day, more young Nigerians attain the age of 18 and become constitutionally eligible to vote. They are not just our future; they are stakeholders in our present,” he said.

“It would be unfortunate if many of them were denied the opportunity to exercise their civic responsibility simply because the registration process closed long before the elections.”

He also cited a federal high court judgment delivered on November 22, 2022, in Anaja Salmat & 3 Others v. INEC (Suit No. FHC/ABJ/CS/1342/2022), which held that voter registration should continue until 90 days before a general election to protect the constitutional voting rights of eligible Nigerians.

Obi acknowledged INEC’s responsibility to conduct free, fair and credible elections, but said the electoral process should prioritise broad participation.

“Our electoral process should, as much as possible, maximise participation rather than limit it,” he said.

“A democracy is strengthened when every eligible citizen has the opportunity to be heard.”

He urged INEC to adopt a registration timeline that protects the integrity of the process while ensuring that no eligible Nigerian is unnecessarily disenfranchised.

2027 general election,
continuous voter registration (CVR),
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