Voter registration will continue beyond June 30, says INEC chairman

The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) says it will not end the continuous voter registration (CVR) on June 30, 2022.

Mahmood Yakubu, INEC chairman, disclosed this on Saturday during the Youth Vote Count concert at the Old Parade Ground, Abuja.

INEC had earlier fixed June 30 as the deadline for the ongoing CVR ahead of the 2023 elections.

But on Monday, a federal high court in Abuja stopped INEC from ending the exercise following a suit filed against the electoral umpire by Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project (SERAP) and 185 Nigerians.

The suit was adjourned to June 29, 2022, for the hearing of the motion on notice for interlocutory injunction.

Speaking during the Abuja concert, Yakubu said the commission has deployed more machines for voter registration, adding that INEC will not stop the exercise until it is satisfied that Nigerians who want to register have done so.

“The second thing is you want to know when will this registration end. Is it going to end on the 30th of June… in the next five days? On behalf of INEC, let me assure you, e no go end for 30th June. As long as we have you people trying to register to obtain your PVC, we will continue to register you and we will continue to make sure that you get your PVC,” Yakubu said.

“Listen to me in this place, this is the Old Parade Ground in Abuja. In the last five days from Monday to Friday — and we are still registering today — we registered over 14, 000 Nigerians in this place alone. Here, in this place, we have fifty voter machines. Two weeks ago, we deployed more machines to the states.

“More machines left yesterday and more machines today all over the country. By Monday, there will be more machines to register more Nigerians. We will not stop the registration until we are satisfied that those who wish to register are given the opportunity to do so.”