The Unbiased Nationwide Electoral Commission (INEC) has insisted that the Steady Voter Registration train ends on Sunday, July 26, 2026, and urged these but to register to reap the benefits of the remaining hours earlier than the registration window closes.
Naija Information experiences that this comes amid calls by some opposition political events for an extension over considerations that hundreds of thousands of residents could possibly be excluded from the 2027 common elections.
Nonetheless, the INEC Nationwide Commissioner, Mohammed Haruna, in an interview with Punch, maintained that the fee wouldn’t prolong the deadline, stressing that the registration train needed to shut to permit the electoral physique to start cleansing the information already collected.
Haruna defined that the fee’s Info Expertise group and the Voter Registration Division would start processing the information instantly after the closure of the registration window.
In response to him, INEC would deploy its Automated Biometric Identification System to detect and take away a number of registrations earlier than the provisional voters’ register is displayed for public scrutiny, including that the ultimate variety of newly registered voters would solely be recognized after the biometric verification and the claims and objections course of.
He stated, “By midnight on Sunday, voter registration ends. There received’t be any extension. There are such a lot of issues that we have to do on the again finish. We’ve to attract a line; in any other case, we received’t have the ability to produce a clear copy of what has been posted.
“We’ve this computerized biometric system that may examine whether or not any person has registered greater than as soon as. They are going to publish the register for claims and objections. That’s, if anyone thinks a reputation shouldn’t be on the register, or if he has some claims, as an example, that his identify has been omitted or a few of his particulars are incorrect.
“So, it’s in any case that has been finished that we’ll have a ultimate determine, which we are going to now add to the prevailing 93 million or so. That may then change into the voters’ register. We’re mandated to offer each political occasion a replica forward of the election.”
Haruna additionally dismissed considerations over the variety of Nigerians who could also be excluded from the 2027 electoral course of by the closure, stating that INEC might solely account for eligible residents who introduced themselves for registration.
He added that the fee had recorded registrations by way of its on-line platform, bodily registration centres and INEC places of work throughout the 774 native authorities areas.
Additionally, the Chief Press Secretary to the INEC Chairman, Dayo Oketola, in an interview with the aforementioned publication, stated the choice to finish the Steady Voter Registration train was in step with constitutional and authorized provisions and essential to pave the best way for preparations forward of the 2027 common elections.
Oketola stated there was no uncommon stress on the registration portal, stressing that the system was constructed to accommodate the amount of candidates all through the train.
Whereas dismissing considerations that the closure of the registration train would disenfranchise eligible Nigerians, Oketola stated the fee launched into in depth nationwide voter training and consciousness campaigns to encourage participation.
Oketola added that bringing the registration train to an finish is critical to permit the fee to finish a number of important actions earlier than the elections, stressing that permitting voter registration to proceed indefinitely would disrupt the fee’s preparations.
