2027: Nigeria’s electoral commission announces date for commencement of voters registration

The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has announced that its Continuous Voter Registration (CVR) exercise will begin on August 25, 2025, and will run for one year ahead of the 2026 elections.

Chief Press Secretary to the INEC Chairman, Rotimi Oyekanmi, disclosed this in a recent interview with Channels Television.

He explained that the registration will take place both online and at designated physical centers across the country.

The online registration will not be for just one week as some people think,” Oyekanmi clarified.

“It will operate side by side with the in-person registration, which starts on the 25th of August, and this will continue for a whole year.”

According to him, INEC has already designated 811 centers nationwide, including its 774 local government offices and state headquarters, to make the exercise accessible.

“We want to encourage Nigerians to take advantage of that,” he said.

The CPS stressed that the exercise is open to those who have just turned 18 and Nigerians who have never registered before.

However, he warned against multiple registrations.

“It is against the law to register more than once. If you register again, our system will flag you, and it is punishable under the law,” Oyekanmi cautioned.

He added that INEC has uploaded the addresses of all the registration centers on its website and set up a contact center to respond to inquiries.

While urging citizens to register early, Oyekanmi advised against waiting until the last minute.

“Because this is a year-long activity, Nigerians have ample time. Don’t wait till July next year or two weeks to the end of it. That will only create unnecessary pressure on our offices. And we don’t want a situation where we would say postpone, and postpone,” he added.