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  • INEC sets August 18 for nationwide voter registration ahead of 2027 elections

    INEC sets August 18 for nationwide voter registration ahead of 2027 elections

    The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has finalized plans to commence the Continuous Voter Registration (CVR) exercise nationwide as part of preparations for the 2027 general elections.

    According to a statement posted on its official X handle on Friday, the exercise will kick off with online pre-registration on August 18, 2025, via the commission’s dedicated portal: cvr.inecnigeria.org. Physical, in-person registration is scheduled to begin a week later, on August 25, across all local government offices and designated registration centres in the country.

    Read Also: Ekiti 2026: INEC warns against underage, multiple voters’ registration

    The registration will hold on weekdays—Mondays to Fridays—from 9:00 am to 3:00 pm daily.

    INEC noted that the CVR exercise, which was recently conducted in Anambra State ahead of its upcoming governorship election, will now be extended nationwide. Eligible voters who missed the Anambra registration are encouraged to take advantage of the new exercise.

    “Your votes start with registration. Don’t miss your opportunity to register,” the commission urged Nigerians.

  • Ekiti 2026: INEC warns against underage, multiple voters’ registration

    Ekiti 2026: INEC warns against underage, multiple voters’ registration

    Ahead of the commencement of the Continuous Voters Registration (CVR) in Ekiti State, the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has warned against underage and multiple registration.

    The commission, which promised to be transparent and fair to all stakeholders, said anyone found culpable would be arrested and prosecuted in line with the laws of the land.

    The state’s INEC Resident Electoral Commissioner (REC), Dr. Bunmi Omoseyindemi, gave the warning yesterday in Ado-Ekiti, the state capital, at a stakeholders’ engagement.

    Stakeholders at the event included leaders of political parties and civil society organisations (CSOs) on the commencement of the CVR for permanent voters cards (PVCs).

    Omoseyindemi announced that the exercise would take off online on August 18, while the in-person exercise will take place on August 25.

    According to him, the exercise will hold at INEC offices across the 16 local government areas of the state and other designated venues.

    The REC urged political parties and CSOs to mobilise and sensitise the residents about the exercise.

    READ ALSO: Transforming health sector

    He said: “Measures have been put in place to ensure that the CVR is inclusive, accessible and in compliance with the law and INEC guidelines.”

     The REC warned political actors against mobilising ineligible residents for the exercise or face the full wrath of the law.

    Omoseyindemi added: “The CVR exercise is critical to the deepening of our democracy. It provides an opportunity for eligible citizens who have just attained the age of 18, as well as those who have never registered before, to be captured in the National Register of Voters. It also allows for the transfer of registration, correction of personal details, and replacement of lost or damaged Permanent Voter Cards (PVCs).

    “Political parties are expected to educate eligible citizens on the importance of registering to vote and encourage their members and supporters to participate in the CVR.

    “Let me reiterate that those not eligible, especially those under 18, should not be mobilised by the political parties for the CVR exercise. If they are caught, they will be arrested and prosecuted. Security agencies have been briefed on this and they will be involved.

    “Those attaining the voting age must bring their birth certificates to ascertain their age, and anyone who brings fake documents will be  arrested.” “

    Also, the State Director of National Orientation Agency (NOA) Mrs. Oluwakemi Akomolede said the CVR is important to the entrenchment of democracy.

    She said it creates opportunities for eligible voters to register and participate in the electoral process.

  • Osun 2026: INEC laments over 360,794 uncollected permanent voter cards

    Osun 2026: INEC laments over 360,794 uncollected permanent voter cards

    The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) on Wednesday lamented over uncollected 360,794 Permanent Voter Cards (PVCs) ahead of the 2026 Osun state governorship election.

    INEC disclosed that as of July 2026, there are 1,954,800 registered voters, noting that the commission will commence the Continuous Voters Registration (CVR) on August 25th 2025.

    Speaking at NUJ correspondents’ chapel, Osogbo, Osun State, the Resident Electoral Commission (REC), Dr Mutiu Agboke, highlighted that the CVR is to accommodate fresh eligible voters, transfer of cards, and replacement of defaced cards and lost PVCs.

    Agboke solicited support from stakeholders, including the media, in ensuring mobilisation for the CVR, as he explained that the exercise will commence on 18th August 2025, with online registration on www.cvr.inecnigeria.org and warned staff of the commission against demanding money from registrants for the exercise.

    He said, “In Osun State, we have a total number of 1,954,800 registered voters and the sum of 360,794 permanent voter cards uncollected. We implore the media to help mobilise the electorate to come out for registration and collection of PVCs. No PVC, no voting.”

    Read Also: Osun 2026: APC Elders’ Caucus meets with 11 governorship aspirants ahead November primary

    Commenting on the usage of the Bi-modal Voters Accreditation System (BVAS), he said, “Supreme Court did not overrule the application and usage of BVAS, but re-emphasised the fundamentals of the voters register as the basis of anything that INEC wanted to do.

    “By the 2022 Electoral Act, the commission has the power to deploy technology to deepen the process; therefore, we can come up 2027 with another kind of technology because we have the basis of it in law. So BVAS is part and parcel of our process.”

    “Overvoting happens without our knowledge, and that is why we are asking stakeholders to join hands with us. BVAS is an offline machine; it only needs a network if you want to upload to the portal. We will tackle overvolving with the best of our ability.”

  • INEC to SIEC: conducting council polls without mandatory notice recipe for anarchy

    INEC to SIEC: conducting council polls without mandatory notice recipe for anarchy

    • ‘RECs’ activities robbing negatively on us’

    Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Prof. Mahmood Yakubu, has urged officials of State Independent Electoral Commissions (SIECs) to learn how to abide by the provisions of the law to enable them to conduct credible elections at the local government level.

    Yakubu said this when he hosted the leadership of the state electoral bodies in his office yesterday in Abuja.

    The INEC chairman told the SIEC officials that their activities often reflected the commission negatively.

    He said many Nigerians believed that the various SIECs were appendages of the INEC.

    Yakubu explained that while both bodies were created through the provisions of the constitution, INEC was constitutionally empowered to perform certain functions that SIECs wer4e3 not empowered to perform.

    The INEC chairman assured the SIEC officials of constant collaboration to enable them to accomplish their tasks.

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    He said the recent announcement by a state electoral commission for the conduct of local government elections within 21 days was not only a violation of the extant laws and the judgment of the Supreme Court, but a recipe for anarchy.

    Yakubu said: “I want to draw your attention to the judgment of the Supreme Court on the conduct of local government elections. Conducting local government elections without having the mandatory notice long before the election contravenes the judgment of the Supreme Court.

    “A recent announcement by a state electoral commission, which gave only a 21-day notice, is not only a violation of the law and the subsisting judgment of the Supreme Court; it is also a practical problem.

    “Within 21 days, how do you expect political parties to conduct primaries, nominate candidates, organise campaigns, and the electoral commission to conduct voter education, recruit and train ad hoc staff, manage logistics, and organise security for the elections? It is practically impossible to do these within 21 days.

    “So, as the umbrella body of state electoral commissions, carry this message to your members as to the importance of complying with statutory timelines for the conduct of local government elections.

    “Money is never greatly available for the conduct of elections and electoral activities. But your challenges actually go beyond funding. Without a clear definition of processes and procedures, no amount of money will solve any problem.”

  • INEC implementing recommendations of international election observers, says Yakubu

    INEC implementing recommendations of international election observers, says Yakubu

    Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) Chairman, Prof. Mahmood Yakubu, has said the commission is implementing the recommendations of international election observation missions to improve future elections in the country.

    The INEC chairman spoke at a meeting with members of the ECOWAS Network of Electoral Commissions (ECONEC), who are in Nigeria for a follow-up on the implementation of recommendations by the ECOWAS Election Observation Mission (EOM) following the last general election.

    The team is led by the Chairperson of the National Elections Commission (NEC) of Liberia, Mrs. Davidetta Browne-Lansanah, who is also the Head of the Post-Election Mission to Nigeria.

    Yakubu hailed ECOWAS for partnering ECONEC in deploying follow-up missions to member-countries, led by a chairperson of an electoral commission.

    He said: “Nigeria has participated in many of these missions.

    “In April this year, just three months ago, I was involved in a similar mission to the Republic of Gambia together with my colleague from Sierra Leone and some of the election experts present today.

    “Today, it is our turn to host our colleagues from Liberia and Ghana, leading a team of international election experts. In this sense, today’s mission is a routine practice but very critical to electoral democracy in our region.”

    He noted that election observation missions always make their findings and recommendations public, while also deploying follow-up missions on the implementation of their recommendations.

    Read Also: Atiku, Peter Obi should step down for Tinubu’s reelection-Aiyedatiwa

    Yakubu said: “The commission is glad that ECOWAS, which deployed both long-term and short-term EOM, recognises that an election is a multi-stakeholder responsibility.

    “Consequently, for Nigeria’s 2023 General Election, it made 37 recommendations for consideration by seven critical institutions and stakeholders in the electoral process. Of these recommendations, 13 are addressed to INEC while 24 require action by other institutions and stakeholders such as the National Assembly, the Nigeria Police Force (NPF), the National Broadcasting Commission (NBC), the National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA), civil society organisations, the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ) and political parties under the auspices of their umbrella body, the Nigeria Inter-Party Advisory Council (PAC).

    Yakubu announced that the Follow-up Mission would interact with the National Identity Management Commission (NIMC).

    Mrs. Browne-Lansanh said the joint post-2023 election follow-up and needs assessment mission to Nigeria was a peer-to-peer review of the team’s presence in Nigeria during the 2023 elections, but more importantly, the recommendations that we offered, which were outlined in a report of our visit here.

  • INEC records 168,187 new voters in Anambra

    INEC records 168,187 new voters in Anambra

    The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has concluded the Continuous Voter Registration (CVR) exercise in Anambra recording 168,187 new registrants.

    According to a report by the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN), the National Commissioner and Chairman Information and Voter Education Committee (IVEC), INEC, Mr Sam Olumekun said this in a statement on Friday in Awka.

    Olumekun said the figure was the highest recorded within two weeks in the state since the commission introduced the process in 2017.

    Read Also: Bye-elections: Request for accreditation not encouraging, says INEC

    “The CVR, which was initially scheduled to end on July 17, was extended by three days to July 20, 2025, in response to appeals from stakeholders.

    “The turnout reflected the growing interest of citizens in the electoral process ahead of the Nov. 8 off-cycle governorship election in Anambra state,” he said.

    He said though these were preliminary figures pending data clean-up, the detailed breakdown showed that 97,832, (58 per cent) were females, while 70,355 (42 per cent) were males.

    According to him, 90,763, representing 53.97 per cent, were young people between 18 and 34 years old.

  • 10 more associations seek INEC registration

    10 more associations seek INEC registration

    • Commission registers 168,187 new voters in Anambra

    The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has said 10 associations have submitted letters of intent to register as political parties.

    The commission also said 168,187 eligible voters registered in the just-concluded Continuous Voter Registration in Anambra State.

    A statement yesterday in Abuja by the National Commissioner and Chairman of the Information and Voter Education Committee, Sam Olumekun, reads: “The commission held its regular weekly meeting today, Thursday, July 24, 2025. In continuation of the Commission’s preparations for the off-cycle governorship election in Anambra State, the meeting received the final report on the Continuous Registration of Voters (CVR), followed by a presentation by the ICT Department on the portal for party registration.

    “As earlier announced by the Commission, the CVR scheduled to end on July 17, 2025, was extended to 20th July 2025, following appeals by citizens.

    “The final figure of new registrants is  168,187, which is the highest number recorded in two weeks in Anambra State since the introduction of the CVR ahead of the governorship election in 2017.

    “Although these are preliminary figures pending data clean-up, the detailed breakdown shows that 97,832 (58 per cent) are female while 70,355 (42 per cent) are male.

    “In terms of age, 90,763 (53.97 per cent) are young people aged 18-34, while the occupational distribution shows that 62,157 (36.92 per cent) are businessmen/women, while 44,243 (26.31 per cent) are students. In terms of Persons with Disability (PWDs), 303 (24.92 per cent) have physical impediment, followed by 207 (17.02 per cent) with albinism. The detailed breakdown has been uploaded to our website and other platforms for public information.

    Read Also: INEC queries SDP over appointment of acting National Chairman

    “The immediate next step is to display the preliminary register of new voters for claims and objections by citizens who are the ultimate owners of the register. This will take place in all the 326 Wards in Anambra State from Saturday, July 26, 2025, to Friday, August 1, 2025.

    “Once this process is concluded, including the Automated Biometric Identification System (ABIS), the new registrants will be added to the existing register and published on a Polling Unit basis ahead of the election.

    “Thereafter, the commission will announce the dates and locations for the collection of the Permanent Voters’ Cards (PVCs) for new registrants and those who applied for transfer or replacement of their lost or damaged cards. The PVCs from previous registration will also be available for collection.

    “With 105 days to the election, the commission is aware of the tight timelines but we wish to reassure all new registrants in Anambra State that their PVCs will be available for collection ahead of the election”.

    Giving an update on political party registration, the commission said: “In our last press release, we assured Nigerians that we are finalising the necessary tests on the party registration portal designed and built in-house by our ICT officials.

    “As is the case with all our IT innovations, the new portal has been demonstrated before the Commission and approved for deployment.

    “The commission is evaluating all the numerous letters of intent received so far to determine the associations that meet the requirements to proceed to the application stage. A report is expected at our next regular meeting.

    “Meanwhile, the commission has received 10 more letters of intent from associations seeking registration as political parties, bringing the number so far to 144.

    “The details of the new associations, including their names, acronyms, logos, addresses, and interim leadership, are published on our website and other platforms for public information.

    “We will continue to update Nigerians on all our activities.”

  • INEC registers 168,187 new voters in Anambra as 10 more associations seek registration

    INEC registers 168,187 new voters in Anambra as 10 more associations seek registration

    The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) said on Thursday that about 168,187 eligible voters registered in the just concluded Continuous Voter Registration exercise in Anambra state.

    In a statement in Abuja, signed by National Commissioner and Chairman of the Information and Voter Education Committee, Sam Olumekun, the Commission also said that an additional 10 associations have submitted letters of intent to register as political parties.

    The statement reads, “The Commission held its regular weekly meeting today, Thursday, 24th July 2025. In continuation of the Commission’s preparations for the off-cycle governorship election in Anambra State, the meeting received the final report on the Continuous Registration of Voters (CVR), followed by a presentation by the ICT Department on the portal for party registration.

    “As earlier announced by the Commission, the CVR scheduled to end on 17th July 2025 was extended to 20th July 2025 following appeals by citizens.

    “The final figure of new registrants is 168,187, which is the highest number recorded in two weeks in Anambra State since the introduction of the CVR ahead of the governorship election in 2017.

    “Although these are preliminary figures pending data clean-up, the detailed breakdown shows that 97,832 (58%) are female, while 70,355 (42%) are male.

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    “In terms of age, 90,763 (53.97%) are young people aged 18-34, while the occupational distribution shows that 62,157 (36.92%) are businessmen/women, and 44,243 (26.31%) are students. In terms of Persons with Disability (PWDs), 303 (24.92%) have physical impediment, followed by 207 (17.02%) with albinism. The detailed breakdown has been uploaded to our website and other platforms for public information.

    “The immediate next step is to display the preliminary register of new voters for claims and objections by citizens who are the ultimate owners of the register. This will take place in all the 326 Wards in Anambra State from Saturday, 26th July 2025 to Friday, 1st August 2025.

    “Once this process is concluded, including the Automated Biometric Identification System (ABIS), the new registrants will be added to the existing register and published on a Polling Unit basis ahead of the election.

    “Thereafter, the Commission will announce the dates and locations for the collection of the Permanent Voters’ Cards (PVCs) for new registrants and those who applied for transfer or replacement of their lost or damaged cards. The PVCs from previous registration will also be available for collection.

    “With 105 days to the election, the Commission is aware of the tight timelines, but we wish to reassure all new registrants in Anambra State that their PVCs will be available for collection ahead of the election”.

    Giving an update on political party registration, the commission said, “In our last press release, we assured Nigerians that we are finalising the necessary tests on the party registration portal designed and built in-house by our ICT officials.

    “As is the case with all our IT innovations, the new portal has been demonstrated before the Commission and approved for deployment.

    “The Commission is evaluating all the numerous letters of intent received so far to determine the associations that meet the requirements to proceed to the application stage. A report is expected at our next regular meeting.

    “Meanwhile, the Commission has received 10 more letters of intent from associations seeking registration as political parties, bringing the number so far to 144.

    “The details of the new associations, including their names, acronyms, logos, addresses and interim leaderships are published on our website and other platforms for public information.

    “We will continue to update Nigerians on all our activities.”

  • Bye-elections: Request for accreditation not encouraging, says INEC

    Bye-elections: Request for accreditation not encouraging, says INEC

    The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) said on Wednesday that response from media houses seeking to cover the forthcoming bye-election across several states in the country has not been encouraging.

    Director, Voter Education and Publicity, Mrs. Victoria Eta-Messi, said in a statement that the commission has received applications from only 12 media houses seeking to deploy about 91 personnel.

    The statement reads, “It will be recalled that the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) opened its online media accreditation portal on Tuesday, 8th July 2025, to facilitate the participation of media organisations and journalists in the coverage of the upcoming bye-elections scheduled for Saturday, 16th August 2025.

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    “As of 3:00 pm today, Wednesday, 23rd July 2025, the Commission has received only 12 applications for 91 persons seeking accreditation to cover the elections. This turnout, so far, is far below expectations.

    “The Commission hereby urges interested media organisations, print, broadcast, and online, to take advantage of the remaining window to apply for accreditation via the designated portal.

    “The portal will remain open until midnight on Thursday, 31st July 2025, after which it will automatically shut down. Late applications will not be entertained under any circumstances.

    “The Commission reiterates the vital role of the media in ensuring transparency and accountability in the electoral process. Election coverage is a professional duty that contributes significantly to democratic consolidation.

    “Let us work together to deepen public trust through timely, balanced, and professional reporting of the electoral process.”

  • INEC queries SDP over appointment of acting National Chairman

    INEC queries SDP over appointment of acting National Chairman

    • Gabam dismisses appointment

    The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has rejected a letter introducing an Acting National Chairman for the Social Democratic Party (SDP) purportedly written by its National Secretary.

    It directed the National Chairman of the party, Alhaji Shehu Gabam, to clarify the authenticity of the letter, dated June 25.

    In an official memo, dated July 5, and signed by its Secretary, Rose Oriaran-Anthony, the commission declared that the letter “is not in compliance with the requirement of Part 2(12)3 of the Regulations and Guidelines for Political Parties, 2022, and requested the National Chairman to please confirm the authenticity of the letter”.

    The INEC memo to Gabam reads: “RE: INTRODUCTION OF THE ACTING NATIONAL CHAIRMAN OF SOCIAL DEMOCRATIC PARTY. 

    “The above subject refers.

    “The commission is in receipt of a letter dated 25th June on the above, purportedly signed by the Secretary of your Party with a signature inconsistent with the specimen signature in the records of the Commission, introducing an acting National Chairman of your party.

    Read Also: Anambra governorship elections: INEC register 96,085 new voters in nine days

    “The letter is not in compliance with the requirement of part 2(12)3 of the Regulations and Guidelines for Political Parties, 2022. You are to please confirm the authenticity of the letter.”

    The National Publicity Secretary of the party, Araba Rufus Ayenigba, had, two weeks ago in a statement, announced the suspension of Gabam and two other members of the National Working Committee (NWC) over alleged general misconduct and appointed Dr. Sadiq Abubakar Gombe as the Acting Chairman of the party.

    In a swift reaction, Gabam assured party members and the general public that there was no crisis whatsoever within the party as speculated in some quarters.

    In a statement yesterday in Abuja by his media aide, Alhaji Lawal Ibrahim, the SDP leader described recent speculations suggesting internal wrangling in the party as misleading and unfounded, which should be disregarded by all and sundry.