‘Don’t disenfranchise eligible Nigerians’ — Peter Obi tells INEC to extend voter registration

Presidential candidate of the Nigeria Democratic Congress, NDC, Peter Obi, has appealed to the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, to extend the ongoing Continuous Voter Registration, CVR, exercise to allow more eligible Nigerians, particularly young people, to register ahead of the 2027 general elections.

Obi made the appeal in a statement posted on his official X handle on Wednesday, arguing that extending the registration period would promote wider participation in the electoral process without undermining preparations for the polls.

According to the former Anambra State governor, thousands of Nigerians attain the age of 18 every day and become constitutionally eligible to vote.

He said they should not be denied the opportunity to exercise their civic rights because of an early closure of the registration exercise.

“As we continue to encourage Nigerians to participate actively in our 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,” Obi said.

He noted that his position is supported by a Federal High Court judgment delivered on November 22, 2022, in the case of Anaja Salmat & 3 Others v. INEC (Suit No. FHC/ABJ/CS/1342/2022).

According to Obi, the court ruled that voter registration should continue until 90 days before a general election in order to protect the constitutional voting rights of eligible Nigerians.

“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 stated.

Obi acknowledged INEC’s responsibility to conduct credible elections and recognised the need for sufficient time to clean the voters’ register and complete logistical preparations.

He maintained that the electoral process should prioritise expanding participation rather than limiting it.

“A democracy is strengthened when every eligible citizen has the opportunity to be heard. I therefore urge INEC to adopt a registration timeline that protects the integrity of the process while ensuring that no eligible Nigerian, especially our young people, is unnecessarily disenfranchised,” Obi added.