INEC to Resume Voter Registration Nationwide in February 2025

The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has announced plans to resume the nationwide Continuous Voter Registration (CVR) exercise in February 2025. The electoral body disclosed that the exercise will initially begin at the Local Government Area (LGA) level and later extend to Registration Areas (RAs).

In a memo dated November 20, 2024, and signed by the Commission’s Secretary, Rose Oriaran-Anthony, INEC directed Resident Electoral Commissioners (RECs) across the country to begin preparations for the exercise.

The memo outlined specific instructions to ensure the smooth rollout of the CVR exercise, including:

Assessing the status of INEC Voter Enrolment Devices (IVED) and associated accessories.

Evaluating the availability of both color and black-and-white heavy-duty printers, as well as Continuous Voter Registration (CVR) forms and materials.

Selecting and preparing staff to serve as voter registration officials.

Compiling information on uncollected Permanent Voter Cards (PVCs) for the display of the Register of uncollected PVCs during the exercise.

INEC emphasized that adequate preparation and resource allocation at the state level would be crucial to the success of the voter registration drive.

INEC had suspended the nationwide CVR exercise in July 2022 in preparation for the 2023 general elections. However, targeted voter registration exercises were conducted in states with off-cycle elections.

The upcoming CVR aims to register new voters and update the records of existing voters, ensuring a more comprehensive and up-to-date voter roll ahead of future elections.

INEC’s decision to resume voter registration has been welcomed by stakeholders, as it provides an opportunity for eligible citizens to exercise their democratic rights in upcoming elections.