INEC Fixes Date To Suspend Continuous Voter Registration

The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has fixed a date to halt the ongoing nationwide Continuous Voter Registration exercise.

In a chat with reporters on Friday, Rotimi Oyekanmi, spokesman to the INEC Chairman, Professor Mahmood Yakubu, said the electoral body might suspend the exercise in July.

He made this known to reporters on the side line of the ongoing two-day Editorial Capacity Building Workshop for INEC Public Affairs Officers in Lagos.

Oyekanmi stated that INEC decided to disclose the date for suspension in order to dissuade Nigerians who were waiting for the last-minute rush before registering.

He said that the commission was impressed by those who had completed both the online pre-registration and the physical capturing of biometrics.

Oyekanmi, however, urged Nigerians especially those who are qualified but have never registered before, to do before July.

He said: “My advice to Nigerians, especially those who are qualified but have never registered before, is to do so because we are likely to round off the exercise about six to seven months before the 2023 General Elections.

“The commission has not decided yet but normally, from what we know, we will suspend the CVR between six to seven months before the general elections to enable us clean up the voter register and print the PVCs of those who have registered so far.

“So, it is extremely important that Nigerians should not wait until June or July before they register.”