Voter Register Review Kicks Off as INEC Suspends Registration

The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has concluded the first quarter of its nationwide Continuous Voter Registration (CVR) exercise, clearing the way for the public display and review of the voter register.

The initial phase of the exercise began with online pre-registration on August 18, 2025, followed by physical registration across all 774 local government areas and the Federal Capital Territory. The phase officially closed on Wednesday, December 10, 2025.

This was disclosed in a statement issued on Wednesday by INEC’s Director of Voter Education and Publicity, Victoria Eta-Messi.

INEC announced that the display of the voter register for public verification, claims, and objections will take place from December 15 to 21, 2025, in line with the provisions of Section 19 of the Electoral Act 2022. The exercise will be conducted at the respective local government offices where registration took place.

The commission advised all newly registered voters, as well as those who transferred or updated their biodata, to seize the opportunity to carefully verify their information and raise any necessary objections.

According to INEC, a total of 9,891,801 online pre-registrations were recorded nationwide by the end of the 13th week of the exercise. Out of this figure, 2,572,054 registrations have been fully completed, comprising 1,503,832 online registrations and 1,068,222 physical registrations as of November 28, 2025.

The commission noted that voter registration activities remain suspended in Anambra State and the Federal Capital Territory due to ongoing electoral engagements, adding that new dates will be communicated in due course.

Eta-Messi reaffirmed that the second phase of the CVR exercise is scheduled to resume on January 5, 2026, according to the commission’s earlier timetable. She emphasized INEC’s commitment to maintaining a credible, inclusive, and transparent voter register, calling on citizens to continue supporting the electoral process.

Meanwhile, in Plateau State, female voters have taken the lead in collecting their Permanent Voter Cards (PVCs), reflecting strong participation among women in the electoral process. The state’s Resident Electoral Commissioner, Mallam Mohammed Abubakar Sadiq, disclosed this during a stakeholders’ meeting held in Jos on Wednesday.

Sadiq explained that the CVR exercise in the state followed the national timetable, beginning with online pre-registration on August 18 and in-person registration on August 25. He described voter registration as a critical foundation of the electoral system.

He revealed that within the three-month period, the state recorded 76,451 applications, with 25,290 new registrations successfully completed.

According to him, 610 females have so far collected their PVCs, compared to 394 males. He added that 7,019 applicants are yet to be fully captured, with 44,142 reported incidents and over 101,200 PVCs still uncollected.

The Plateau REC identified incomplete registrations and low PVC collection as major challenges and urged affected citizens to take full advantage of the voter register display period to review and correct their data.

He expressed appreciation to traditional rulers, local government councils, political parties, security agencies, and the media for their role in mobilizing residents for the exercise.

Sadiq also expressed concern over the extremely low turnout in PVC collection, noting that only 1,004 out of over 101,000 available PVCs had been collected in the last three months—representing less than one per cent.

He reiterated that the second phase of voter registration will commence on January 5, 2026, and encouraged eligible voters to participate actively to avoid exclusion from future elections.