By Anayo Akwitti
The Coalition for the Protection of Democracy (COPDEM) has called on the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to extend the ongoing Continuous Voter Registration (CVR) exercise and keep it open until at least 90 days before the 2027 General Elections.
it cited that this is in line with a Federal High Court judgment and the Electoral Act.
In a letter submitted to the INEC Chairman at the commission’s headquarters in Abuja, the coalition cited the Federal High Court judgment delivered on November 22, 2022, in Anaja Salmat & 3 Others v. INEC (Suit No. FHC/ABJ/CS/1342/2022), which held that voter registration should continue until 90 days before a general election to safeguard the constitutional rights of eligible Nigerians.
The court also ruled that closing voter registration prematurely could amount to an unreasonable exercise of INEC’s powers where a significant number of eligible citizens remain unregistered.
COPDEM warned that ending the current exercise well before the constitutional deadline could disenfranchise millions of Nigerians and undermine the credibility, inclusiveness and legitimacy of the 2027 general elections.
The coalition noted that many eligible Nigerians are yet to register due to insecurity, displacement, poverty, inadequate registration centres, poor internet connectivity, transportation challenges and limited voter education.
It added that many young Nigerians will attain voting age before the elections, while citizens returning from abroad should also have the opportunity to register and participate in the democratic process.
To address the concerns, COPDEM urged INEC to maintain the CVR exercise until about October 18, 2026, publish a comprehensive voter registration timetable consistent with the Constitution and the Electoral Act, establish additional fixed and mobile registration centres, especially in rural communities and Internally Displaced Persons (IDP) camps, intensify voter education campaigns, and take administrative steps to prevent the disenfranchisement of first-time voters.
Speaking on behalf of the coalition, COPDEM National Chairman, Rwang Pam Jr., said democracy is strengthened when every eligible citizen has an equal opportunity to vote, stressing that the right to vote begins with the right to register.
The coalition also called on INEC to immediately remove the compulsory requirement for an email address during the voter registration process, arguing that the policy could exclude millions of eligible Nigerians who do not own smartphones or maintain active email accounts.
According to COPDEM, making email registration mandatory creates an unnecessary barrier for many rural residents, low-income earners and elderly citizens who have limited access to digital technology and internet services.
The coalition urged the electoral commission to make the email field optional, insisting that electoral participation should not depend on digital access or technological literacy.
Reaffirming that its intervention is driven solely by the national interest, COPDEM expressed confidence that complying with the Federal High Court judgment and adopting more inclusive registration policies would strengthen public trust in Nigeria’s electoral process and ensure free, fair, credible and inclusive elections in 2027.
