By Iyoho Emmanuel
ABUJA – The Coordinator of Arise with Renewed Hope Initiative, Abuja Chapter, has described the Independent National Electoral Commission’s, INEC, two-week extension of the Continuous Voter Registration(CVR), exercise as inadequate, urging the commission to adopt a continuous registration system and introduce Diaspora voting ahead of the 2027 general elections.
INEC had on Friday announced a two-week extension of the nationwide CVR, moving the deadline to Friday, July 24, 2026.
The exercise commenced on August 18, 2025.
The commission, through its National Commissioner and Chairman, Information and Voter Education, Mohammed Haruna, said the extension followed feedback from state offices, political parties, civil society organisations and other stakeholders.
INEC also announced the introduction of a self-service online registration portal, `cvr.inecnigeria.org’, which will go live on Wednesday, July 8, 2026, to enable eligible first-time voters to complete registration and biometric capture on their personal devices.
Comrade Etim Okon who spoke in an interview in Abuja, said while INEC has the right to extend the exercise for administrative purposes, two weeks would not be enough to capture all eligible Nigerians, especially with campaigns expected to begin in August.
“INEC has the right to extend the voter registration exercise. Ideally, it should be a continuous exercise because every day, people are turning 18 years of age. Maybe for administrative and election planning purposes it was shifted by two weeks. But that two weeks is not enough.
“With elections coming in January and campaigns starting in August, INEC should have extended it to at least one month. More importantly, this exercise should be continuous even after the election because of the number of Nigerians turning 18 regularly,” he said.
Okon urged INEC to look beyond Nigeria’s borders and make provisions for Nigerians in the Diaspora to vote, citing the recent crisis in South Africa and other countries where many citizens may be disenfranchised.
“INEC should look beyond Nigeria. Diaspora voting is important. Look at the number of Nigerians coming out of South Africa because of the crisis there. A lot of them may be disenfranchised. INEC should extend the registration to one month to accommodate them and give priority to those returning from crisis zones,” he added.
He argued that Nigeria’s democracy is mature enough to accommodate online voting for citizens abroad.
“Democracy in Nigeria is ripe enough to enable our sons and daughters who are 18 years and above in other countries to vote online. There is nothing holding INEC back from introducing online voting for the Diaspora,” he stated.
The Arise with Renewed Hope Coordinator also called for three key electoral reforms: continuous voter registration, Diaspora voting, and automated cleaning of the voters’ register.
He proposed that registration should remain open until three months to an election to prevent young Nigerians from being denied their franchise.
“Voting is our weapon. Since we don’t have guns, our gun is our voting power. You cannot say someone turned 18 today and cannot vote because they didn’t register. Registration should be continuous,” Okon added.
He further suggested that INEC deploy technology to automatically remove deceased persons from the register using death certificates.
“There are a lot of names of dead people still in the register. With technology, it is possible. Once a death certificate is issued, the name should be automatically deleted, just like in the civil service when someone retires. If we don’t clean the register, we are creating room for election rigging because people can pick up PVCs of the dead,” he warned.
On mobilization efforts, Okon said leaders in the FCT and environs have been encouraging residents to visit INEC offices to register and collect their PVCs.
“We have advised our people in FCT and its environs to go to their nearest INEC office to register and ensure they go back to collect their PVCs. A lot of people have done that. Some are waiting to collect their cards. It is our hope that in the next one month, our people will have their PVCs,” he said.
The coordinator also appealed to the government to ensure that citizens in Abuja and the 19 northern states are not denied their voting rights and that adequate logistics are provided on election day.
He urged Akwa Ibom people in Abuja and its environs to participate actively in politics.
“My message is that it is time for our people to get involved. Do not sit on the fence. Politics is everybody’s affair. If you do not want a particular government, let your PVC speak for you. You do not have a gun. Use your PVC and vote wisely,” he explained.
INEC said the extension and introduction of the online self-service option underscore its commitment to ensuring that every eligible Nigerian has a fair opportunity to be included in the National Register of Voters ahead of future electoral activities.
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