INEC rules out extension as voter registration ends today

INEC rules out extension as voter registration ends today

The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has announced that the Continuous Voter Registration (CVR) exercise officially concludes on Sunday, 26 July 2026. Despite formal requests for an extension from civil society organisations and opposition political parties, the commission maintained that the registration window will close at midnight.

Designated registration centres remained open from 9am to 3pm on the final day. In a notice shared via its X handle on Saturday, the commission urged eligible citizens to act quickly, stating: Your future won’t wait. Neither should you.

The decision to halt registration is tied to the requirements of the new Electoral Act, which mandates that INEC stop updating and revising the voters’ register 90 days before an election. This window is necessary for data clean-up, the printing of Permanent Voter Cards, and other logistical preparations. The law also requires the commission to display the register for claims and objections to ensure the final list is credible.

Logistical and Legal Justifications

Mohammed Haruna, the INEC National Commissioner, told Sunday PUNCH that the deadline is firm to allow the electoral body to begin processing the collected data. He explained that the Information Technology team and the Voter Registration Department must start their work immediately after the closure.

"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,"

Mohammed Haruna, INEC National Commissioner, via Sunday PUNCH

Haruna stated that INEC will utilize an Automated Biometric Identification System to remove multiple registrations. The final count of new voters will be determined after this biometric verification and the claims and objections process. This new total will then be added to the existing 93 million or so voters to create the final register, copies of which must be provided to every political party before the election.

Dayo Oketola, the Chief Press Secretary to the INEC Chairman, added that the closure is consistent with constitutional and legal provisions. He dismissed claims that the closure would disenfranchise citizens, noting that the commission had already extended the exercise and conducted nationwide awareness campaigns. He also stated that the registration portal experienced no unusual pressure, as it was built to handle the volume of applicants.

Opposition and Civil Society Pushback

Several political entities and advocates argued that the closure is premature. Obiora Ifoh, National Publicity Secretary of the Labour Party, argued that since the exercise is named Continuous Voter Registration, it should remain open to accommodate those who will turn 18 by December.

Bolaji Abdullahi of the African Democratic Congress stated that registration should not be tied to specific timelines, noting the difficulty for grassroots citizens to abandon daily work to queue for hours at offices. Similarly, Ini Ememobong of a faction of the Peoples Democratic Party suggested that dwindling confidence in INEC’s impartiality has discouraged some Nigerians from registering.

Civil society voices also questioned the timing. Emmanuel Olowu, Executive Director of the Socio-Economic and Civic Rights Advocacy, pointed out that while Section 9(5) of the Electoral Act 2022 allows registration until 90 days before an election, INEC is ending the process approximately 180 days before polling. Olasupo Abideen of the BallotEyes Working Group described the move as premature, suggesting the portal could have remained open until November due to full digitalization.

Conversely, the APC and Yiaga Africa supported the commission. Dr Ijeomah Arodiogbu of the APC noted that a deadline is necessary for planning election materials. Samson Itodo, Executive Director of Yiaga Africa, stated that adherence to the timetable is essential for effective planning, though he urged that future CVR exercises be made genuinely continuous.

Registration Data and Demographics

As of 17 July 2026, INEC recorded 2,970,257 eligible Nigerians registered during Phase III, Week Nine. While the exercise continued nationwide, it was suspended in Osun State due to the forthcoming governorship election, per Section 9(6) of the Electoral Act 2022.

The breakdown of registrants is as follows:

Occupational data shows students were the largest group with 695,026 registrations (23.39%), followed by business owners at 626,523 (21.09%). Farmers and fishermen accounted for 505,402, while 480,682 housewives registered. The commission also recorded 32,361 persons living with disabilities.

Geographically, Kano State saw the highest activity with 234,305 registrations, followed by Lagos (140,546) and Edo (139,313). The North-West zone recorded the highest number of registrations among the six geopolitical zones.

Following the midnight closure on 26 July, INEC will now begin the data cleaning process and the deployment of the Automated Biometric Identification System to prepare the provisional voters' register for public display.