The Independent National Electoral Commission has insisted that the Continuous Voter Registration exercise will end today, July 26, despite mounting calls from opposition political parties and civil society organisations for an extension to prevent eligible Nigerians from being excluded from the 2027 general elections.
INEC National Commissioner Mohammed Haruna said there would be no extension because the commission must begin cleaning voter data, using its Automated Biometric Identification System to remove duplicate registrations before publishing the provisional register for claims and objections.
The commission said registration centres would operate from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m., urging eligible citizens to complete the process online or at designated centres.
INEC disclosed that 2,970,257 Nigerians had registered by July 17, with young people aged 18 to 34 accounting for the majority of registrants.
While the ADC, Labour Party, PDP faction and several civil society groups argued that registration should remain open longer, the APC and Yiaga Africa backed INEC, saying adherence to the electoral timetable is essential for credible election planning.