2023: Continuous Voters Registration to end on July 31 ― INEC

PVCs

The Independent National Electoral Commission, (INEC) has disclosed that it would terminate the ongoing Continuous Voter Registration (CVR) by the end of this month.

Festus Okoye, National Commissioner and Chairman, Information and Voter Education Committee of the Commission, made the disclosure in a statement on Friday in Abuja.

Checks revealed that the electoral umpire had extended the CVR beyond 30th June 2022, in deference to the interim injunction of the Court pending the determination of the substantive suit filed by the Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project (SERAP) in which it sought for an extension of the exercise beyond 30th June 2022.

Further checks by Tribune Online revealed that the Federal High Court in Abuja on Wednesday, dismissed the suit filed by SERAP and affirmed that INEC is at liberty to appoint a date of its choice to suspend the CVR, provided it is not later than 90 days before the date fixed for the General Election as provided in Section 9(6) of the Electoral Act 2022.

Okoye in his statement noted that “with the judgement of the Federal High Court, all legal encumbrances have now been removed.’

He further revealed that INEC has extended the CVR, ” for another two weeks until Sunday 31st July 2022, thereby bringing the total duration of the extension to 31 days (1st – 31st July 2022).

“The exercise has also been extended to eight hours daily from 9.00 am – 5.00 pm instead of the current duration of six hours (9.00 am – 3.00 pm) daily; and “The exercise is also extended to include weekends (Saturdays and Sundays) as against only weekdays.”

The Commission admitted that “the timeframe may be tight for many prospective registrants, but there is a lot that the Commission is required to do under the electoral legal framework in relation to voter registration and compilation of the register that will require time to accomplish.”

According to Okoye, these include, amongst others, “Clean-up of the register to remove multiple registrants using the Automated Biometric Identification System (ABIS); “Consolidate the national register of voters (existing voters and new registrants) and display same on Polling Unit basis for each of the 8,809 Registration Areas (Wards) across the 774 Local Government Areas nationwide for public scrutiny. This lasts for a period of one week.

On the basis of a new projection of 95 million voters, on the basis of 10 voters per page, the Commission has to print 9,500,000 pages for the display and the printing of millions of Permanent Voters’ Cards (PVCs) for all fresh registrants and applicants for transfer and replacement of lost or damaged PVCs.”

The electoral umpire demanded for the patience and understanding of all Nigerians as the CVR would be terminated at the end of July but assured that it would resume the exercise after the 2023 General Election.

The statement further appealed “to eligible citizens not to wait until the last few days before they inundate the centres again to register.

“We appreciate the interest of Nigerians to register and participate in the electoral process and once again reiterate our commitment to credible and transparent elections. This can only be achieved with the support and cooperation of all Nigerians .”

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