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.
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