THE Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has extended the ongoing nationwide Continuous Voter Registration (CVR) exercise by two weeks and would now end on Friday, July 24, to enable more eligible Nigerians to register ahead of next year’s general elections and indeed future elections.
The extension came just as the electoral body unveiled an online self-service registration option for eligible first-time voters.
INEC, in a statement issued on Friday, July 3, signed by the National Commissioner and Chairman of the Information and Voter Education Committee, Mohammed Kudu Haruna, said the decision followed a review of the exercise and feedback received from its state offices, political parties, civil society organisations and other stakeholders.
The exercise, which started on August 18, last year, and was scheduled to end on July 10, this year, is expected to be the final major voter registration exercise ahead of next year’s general elections.
Haruna, in the statement, said: “The extension underscores the Commission’s commitment to ensuring that every eligible Nigerian has a fair and reasonable opportunity to be included in the Register of Voters.”
INEC also announced the launch of an online self-service portal, which will allow eligible Nigerians to initiate and complete their voter registration process, including biometric capture, using their personal devices, without physically visiting any INEC office.
It said a step-by-step guide would be made available on the portal to assist users, assuring that its system has “robust identity verification, biometric validation and backend integrity checks designed to preserve the credibility and accuracy of the National Register of Voters.”
The Commission urged all eligible Nigerians yet to register to take advantage of the extended registration period and the newly introduced online option, noting: “The Commission remains committed to a credible, inclusive and accessible voter registration process, and to advancing the use of technology to improve citizens’ experience in the electoral process.”
INEC further assured Nigerians that the platform has been designed with multiple security features to safeguard the integrity of the voter register.
According to the Commission, the online registration platform will become operational on Wednesday, July 8, through its dedicated CVR portal at cvr.inecnigeria.org, where users can also access a step-by-step registration guide.
