INEC Ends Voter Registration Despite Opposition Calls

The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) announced the end of the Continuous Voter Registration (CVR) exercise on July 26, 2026, despite demands from opposition political parties and civil society organizations for an extension. These groups expressed concerns that many eligible citizens might be excluded from the 2027 general elections.

INEC urged those who had not registered to utilize the remaining hours before the deadline, with registration centers open from 9 am to 3 pm. INEC National Commissioner Mohammed Haruna stated that the deadline would not be extended, as the commission needed to clean the collected data to prepare for the elections.

He explained that the Information Technology team and the Voter Registration Department would begin processing the data immediately after the registration window closed. INEC will use its Automated Biometric Identification System to detect multiple registrations before displaying the provisional voters' register for public scrutiny, allowing for claims and objections regarding omissions or errors.