INEC’s continuous voter registration with closing date is illegal – Ologun

The Executive Director of the Centre for Responsive Governance, Ayodeji Ologun, has criticised the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) over its approach to the Continuous Voter Registration (CVR) exercise, describing the practice of setting a closing date for a supposedly continuous process as both unfair and illegal.
Ologun made the remarks during an appearance on Frontline, a current affairs programme on Eagle 102.5 FM, Ilese-Ijebu, Ogun State, on Monday, following the conclusion of INEC’s nationwide voter registration exercise.
He argued that Nigeria’s voter registration system requires a complete overhaul, insisting that eligible citizens should be able to register throughout the year without restrictions.
“It is illegal. It is unfair that you call something continuous voter registration and then you put a peg on it and say it has closed. What then justifies the grammatical use of the word ‘continuous’?” Ologun asked.
INEC had extended the CVR exercise by two weeks, shifting the deadline from July 10 to July 26, 2026, following a surge in last-minute registrations and sustained pressure from civil society organisations seeking additional time ahead of the 2027 general elections. However, after the extension expired, the electoral commission officially closed both its online registration portal and physical registration centres nationwide.
The commission defended the decision, citing Section 17 of the Electoral Act 2022, which requires voter registration to be suspended at least 90 days before a general election. INEC also maintained that the deadline was necessary to clean the voters’ register, eliminate duplicate entries, and prepare Permanent Voter Cards (PVCs) for distribution before the 2027 polls.
Despite the explanation, Ologun maintained that Nigeria’s voter registration model remains outdated. According to him, the fixed deadline exists because the same officials responsible for voter registration are also deployed to conduct elections.
“We are living an archaic life in Nigeria. Voter registration should not have an opening day or a closing day. The same people responsible for registration across wards and local governments are the ones INEC intends to deploy for elections,” he said.
The governance advocate further argued that the nearly one-year registration exercise—the longest since Nigeria’s return to democratic rule in 1999—failed to achieve its primary objective of boosting electoral participation.
“It is important to note that the continuous voter registration that ended on July 26, after two extensions, became the longest in our democratic history, lasting almost a year from August 2025. The question is whether it achieved its intended objective. The answer is a capital no,” he said.
According to Ologun, the repeated extensions reflected growing voter apathy rather than increased civic engagement.
“Nigerians are reluctant. The low turnout for registration confirms concerns raised by civil society organisations and political observers that voter apathy is increasing. When citizens refuse to participate in elections, a minority ends up deciding who governs the majority,” he added.
Ologun also advocated a fully digital voter registration system, allowing Nigerians who attain the voting age of 18 to complete the process online, choose preferred PVC collection centres, or have their voter cards delivered directly to their homes.
“Voter registration should be something you can do from the comfort of your home, just like the new international passport process. Once you turn 18, you should be able to log on to the INEC portal, upload your details, complete your registration, and either collect your PVC at a designated location or have it delivered to your doorstep,” he said.
He further called for greater integration of government databases, arguing that data already captured by the National Identity Management Commission (NIMC) should be sufficient for voter registration and other public services.
“I think one of the reasons we are unifying our data through the Ministry of Interior and the NIMC is that one set of data should be sufficient for all government services,” he stated.
Ologun maintained that the true measure of electoral success should not be the number of registered voters but the number of citizens who eventually cast their ballots.
Using Osun State as an example, he recalled reports that gunmen allegedly attacked a PVC collection centre in Oru Local Government Area shortly after distribution commenced, carting away uncollected voter cards.
He questioned how INEC intends to invalidate the stolen PVCs before the elections, noting that the commission may not be able to reproduce replacement cards within the available timeframe.
Beyond security concerns, Ologun identified uncollected PVCs, insecurity, population mobility and the challenges faced by students who relocate after graduation as major factors contributing to low voter participation.
He also expressed concern over what he described as the country’s poor voter registration figures.
“Look, we have over 80 million eligible voters in Nigeria. Yet the total number of registered voters is less than 45 million. That tells you that more than half of those qualified to vote remain unregistered,” he said.
He added that voter apathy extends beyond registration, noting that less than half of registered voters eventually participate on election day.
“Of those who register, less than half come out to vote. The question is: what happens to the other half who fail to participate on election day?” Ologun asked.