2023 GENERAL ELECTION: Relief As INEC Extends Voter Registration Indefinitely

By Our Reporter

Eligible voters yet to enrol for their Permanent Voters Card (PVC) have been given another window as the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) on Thursday approved extension of the CVR exercise.

A statement issued by INEC, through its National Commissioner and Chairman, Information and Voter Education Committee, Festus Okoye disclosed that extra machines would be deployed to areas of pressure to ensure that no eligible citizen was disenfranchised.
The statements read in parts:

“The Continuous Voter Registration (CVR) will continue nationwide, and all the Resident Electoral Commissioners and Electoral Officers have been directed to continue with the exercise pending further directives from the Commission.

” The Commission has consistently reiterated its resolve to continue to provide electoral services to the Nigerian people and register all eligible Nigerians that are interested in registering.

“The Commission has yet again deployed additional machines to areas of pressure and will continue to serve the people of Nigeria.

According to the INEC spokesperson, the civil case relating to the CVR termination came up at the Federal High Court on Wednesday 29th June 2022, and “based on the request of the Commission, the court granted an accelerated hearing and adjourned the matter to Monday 4th July 2022 for hearing of the substantive matter.

“The Commission will give an update after court hearing next week”, he said.

Okoye disclosed that the Commission has been inundated with applications for CTCs of various documents. Hear him: “So far, 186 requests for CTCs, some running into hundreds of pages, have been processed. The Commission is working round the clock, including weekends, to attend to all such requests. We wish to assure political parties, aspirants, candidates, and all applicants for CTCs of documents that their applications will be treated expeditiously and will be issued in earnest.

On the uploading of list and particulars of nominated candidates, he assured that efforts were in top gear to get them uploaded before July 15,2022.

“By the Timetable and Schedule of Activities released by the Commission, Political Parties that conducted valid Governorship and State Assembly primaries shall upload the list and personal particulars of their nominated candidates between 1st and 15th July 2022.

“We urge political parties to scrutinize the list and personal particulars of the candidates they propose to sponsor at the election to avoid any mix-up and duplication of names.

“Political parties are advised not to wait until the last day before uploading the list and personal particulars of their candidates.

According to him, the Candidates Nomination Portal will shut down at 6pm on 15th July 2022. And that political parties that have challenges with uploading documents “should contact the Commission’s Help – Desk, through the dedicated telephone lines or contact the candidate nomination centre at the Commission’s headquarters.”

READ FULL INEC RELEASE

The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) met today, Thursday 30th June 2022 and deliberated on a number of issues, including the Continuous Voter Registration (CVR) exercise, the issuance of Certified True Copies (CTCs) of documents and the commencement of the Uploading of the List and Personal Particulars of Governorship and State Assembly Candidates.

Continuation of the Continuous Voter Registration

The Continuous Voter Registration (CVR) will continue nationwide, and all the Resident Electoral Commissioners and Electoral Officers have been directed to continue with the exercise pending further directives from the Commission. The Commission has consistently reiterated its resolve to continue to provide electoral services to the Nigerian people and register all eligible Nigerians that are interested in registering. The Commission has yet again deployed additional machines to areas of pressure and will continue to serve the people of Nigeria.

Furthermore, the case at the Federal High Court relating to the terminal date of the CVR came up yesterday Wednesday 29th June 2022, and based on the request of the Commission, the Court granted an accelerated hearing and adjourned the matter to Monday 4th July 2022 for hearing of the substantive matter. The Commission will give an update after court hearing next week.

Issuance of Certified True Copy (CTC) of Documents

The Commission has been inundated with applications for CTCs of various documents. So far, 186 requests for CTCs, some running into hundreds of pages, have been processed. The Commission is working round the clock, including weekends, to attend to all such requests. We wish to assure political parties, aspirants, candidates, and all applicants for CTCs of documents that their applications will be treated expeditiously and will be issued in earnest.

Uploading of List and Particulars of Nominated Candidates

By the Timetable and Schedule of Activities released by the Commission, Political Parties that conducted valid Governorship and State Assembly primaries shall upload the list and personal particulars of their nominated candidates between 1st and 15th July 2022. We urge political parties to scrutinize the list and personal particulars of the candidates they propose to sponsor at the election to avoid any mix-up and duplication of names. Political parties are advised not to wait until the last day before uploading the list and personal particulars of their candidates. The Candidates Nomination Portal will shut down at 6pm on 15th July 2022. Political parties that have challenges with uploading documents should contact the Commission’s Help – Desk, through the dedicated telephone lines or contact the candidate nomination centre at the Commission’s headquarters.

Festus Okoye Esq.
National Commissioner and Chairman, Information and Voter Education Committee.
Thursday 30th June 2022.