2023 Elections In Nigeria: Court orders INEC to resume voters’ registration

2023 Elections In Nigeria: Court orders INEC to resume voters’ registration

A federal high court in Abuja has ordered the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to resume the Continuous Voter Registration (CVR) exercise.

Justice Inyang Ekwo said the voters’ registration ought to last until 90 days before the 2023 general election.

In a suit filed by one Anajat Salmat and three others, the plaintiff argued that INEC cannot stop the CVR before the time stipulated by law.

READ ALSO: Nigerians sue INEC over incomplete voters’ registration

Justice Ekwo agreed with the plaintiffs and ordered INEC not to deprive citizens of the opportunity to have their voter cards for the forthcoming election.

“The case of the plaintiffs succeeds on merit,” the judge declared.

INEC had in June 2021 launched an online voter registration portal for Nigerians to register and request to update their voter information before they complete the process physically at designated centres.

The electoral body fixed June 30 as the initial deadline for the CVR ahead of the 2023 elections but the Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project (SERAP) and 185 other individuals approached a court to seek an extension for voters’ registration which the court ordered INEC to extend the voter registration till July 31.

INEC is yet to respond to Tuesday’s court ruling ordering it to resume voters’ registration at the time of filing this report.