INEC Voters Registration Suffers Setback as Only 29% of Target Register

• INEC is struggling to meet its voters registration target before the set deadline of June 2022.

• The electoral commission had set a target to register at least 20 million Nigerian voters but only 5.8 million have been registered.

• 9,238,991 fresh registrants had registered online but several have failed to complete the physical INEC voters registration process.

The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) looks set to fail in its voters registration target. INEC had targeted registering at least 20 million Nigerian voters before the end of June but only 5.8 million people have registered so far.

The electoral body disclosed that as of May 16, 9,238,991 fresh registrants had registered online. Out of the online registrants, only 5,845,751 had, however, completed the physical INEC voters registration process.

The INEC Chairman, Professor Mahmood Yakubu set the 20 million target last year, stating that the commission wants more youth to register. However, with barely a month left to deadline, over 70% of its target have shown little interest in registration.

Meanwhile, the Chief Press Secretary to INEC Chairman, Rotimi Oyekanmi has said that the commission would not extend the June 30th deadline.

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“The commission will not extend the CVR (Continuous Voter Registration) which started on June 30 last year. For the first time ever, the commission introduced the online pre-registration option, to make it easier for eligible Nigerians to register.”

“INEC and other electoral stakeholders, including CSOs and the media, have done more than enough to get more Nigerians registered.

Oyekanmi warned that anyone who fails to register before June 30 this year will only have another opportunity when the CVR resumes after the 2023 general elections.

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