Ahead of the 2027 elections, the presidential candidate of the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC), Peter Obi, has urged the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to extend the voter registration exercise to allow more Nigerians to participate.
ThelensNG reports that the Continuous Voter Registration (CVR) exercise commenced on August 18, 2025, and was initially scheduled to conclude on July 10, 2026. However, the Commission extended the exercise to July 26.
With a few days left before INEC’s deadline, Obi explained that an extension is necessary as part of ongoing efforts to encourage Nigerians to participate actively in the country’s democracy.
“I respectfully appeal to INEC to consider extending the voter registration window to the latest practical date that still allows adequate time for the preparation of a credible voters’ register before the 2027 general elections,” he said.
Obi argued that every day, more young Nigerians attain the age of 18 and become constitutionally eligible to vote.
He described young Nigerians as not just the country’s future but also stakeholders in its present.
The former Anambra State governor emphasised that it would be unfortunate if many of them were denied the opportunity to exercise their civic responsibility simply because the registration process closed long before the elections.
“Moreover, this position is legally supported by the High Court judgment delivered on 22 November 2022 in Anaja Salmat & 3 Others v. INEC (Suit No. FHC/ABJ/CS/1342/2022). In that decision, the Federal High Court held that voter registration should continue until 90 days before a general election to protect the constitutional voting rights of eligible Nigerians,” he noted.
Obi also acknowledged the enormous responsibility placed on INEC to deliver free, fair, and credible elections while stressing the need for sufficient time to clean the register and make the necessary logistical preparations.
However, he asserted that Nigeria’s electoral process should, as much as possible, maximise participation rather than limit it.
Obi maintained that democracy is strengthened when every eligible citizen has the opportunity to be heard.
He further urged INEC to adopt a registration timeline that protects the integrity of the process and ensures that no eligible Nigerian, especially young people, is unnecessarily disenfranchised.
