The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has maintained that the Continuous Voter Registration (CVR) exercise will end today, Sunday, July 26, despite growing calls from opposition political parties and civil society organisations for an extension.
The commission urged Nigerians who are yet to register to use the remaining hours before the registration window closes.
In a notice shared on its official X account on Saturday, INEC said registration centres across the country would operate from 9:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m.
> "Your future won’t wait. Neither should you. The Continuous Voter Registration exercise ends Sunday, 26 July 2026," the commission stated.
INEC also reminded eligible Nigerians that they could complete the registration process online through its dedicated portal or visit designated registration centres for physical assistance.
No extension, says INEC
Speaking on the decision, INEC National Commissioner Mohammed Haruna ruled out any extension, explaining that the commission must begin processing and cleaning the data already collected.
"By midnight on Sunday, voter registration ends. There won't be any extension. There are so many things we need to do at the back end. We have to draw a line; otherwise, we won't be able to produce a clean register," he said.
Haruna explained that after registration closes, the commission's Information Technology team and Voter Registration Department would begin verifying records using the Automated Biometric Identification System to identify and remove duplicate registrations.
He added that the provisional voters' register would later be displayed to allow Nigerians submit claims and objections before the final register is produced.
"It's after all that has been done that we will have the final figure, which will be added to the existing voters' register," he said.
INEC Chief Press Secretary, Dayo Oketola, also defended the decision, saying it was in line with constitutional provisions and necessary to prepare adequately for the 2027 general election.
He dismissed concerns about pressure on the registration portal, insisting the system was designed to accommodate applicants throughout the exercise.
According to him, extensive voter education campaigns were carried out nationwide to encourage eligible citizens to register.
Nearly three million new voters registered
INEC disclosed that 2,970,257 Nigerians had successfully registered during Phase III of the CVR exercise as of July 17, 2026.
Of the total figure:
970,865 completed their registration online.
2,000,092 registered physically.
Women accounted for 1,561,765 registrations, while 1,409,192 men registered.
Young Nigerians between the ages of 18 and 34 made up the largest group of new registrants, with more than two million registrations.
Students formed the biggest occupational category, followed by business owners, farmers, housewives and artisans.
Kano recorded the highest number of registrations with 234,305, followed by Lagos with 140,546 and Edo with 139,313.
Opposition parties demand more time
Several opposition parties criticised INEC's decision, arguing that millions of eligible Nigerians could be denied the opportunity to vote in the 2027 elections.
African Democratic Congress spokesman, Bolaji Abdullahi, said voter registration should remain open for eligible citizens whenever they choose to participate in the electoral process.
The Labour Party also faulted the planned closure, insisting that a "Continuous Voter Registration" exercise should remain open for longer.
Labour Party spokesman, Obiora Ifoh, questioned why eligible Nigerians who would attain voting age before the election should be prevented from registering.
"I don't see how people registering even up to December can obstruct what INEC is doing," he said.
The Peoples Democratic Party also called for an extension, arguing that many Nigerians had become discouraged by declining confidence in the electoral process.
Civil society groups back extension
Civil society organisations also appealed to INEC to extend the registration exercise.
Women Arise for Change Initiative President, Dr Joe Okei-Odumakin, said extending the exercise for a few more weeks would encourage broader participation.
Similarly, BallotEyes Working Group Chairman, Olasupo Abideen, described the closure as premature, arguing that registration should remain open for longer since there are still several months before the general election.
Socio-Economic and Civic Rights Advocacy Executive Director, Emmanuel Olowu, questioned why the commission was ending registration about six months before the polls when the Electoral Act only requires it to stop at least 90 days before an election.
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APC, Yiaga Africa defend INEC
The All Progressives Congress backed INEC's decision, saying the commission needed adequate time to prepare for the elections.
APC National Vice Chairman (South-East), Dr Ijeomah Arodiogbu, said the party would support any decision taken by INEC, provided it did not disrupt the election timetable.
Yiaga Africa Executive Director, Samson Itodo, also defended the commission, noting that INEC needed enough time to clean the voters' register, remove duplicate entries, resolve claims and objections, and complete other pre-election preparations.
He, however, urged the commission to make voter registration more accessible outside election periods so eligible Nigerians would have more opportunities to register before future elections.
