The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has ruled out any extension of the Continuous Voter Registration (CVR) exercise, insisting that the nationwide registration will end today despite calls from opposition political parties and civil society organisations for more time.
The electoral commission urged eligible Nigerians who have yet to register to take advantage of the remaining hours before the registration window closes.
In a post on its official X handle on Saturday, INEC reiterated that the exercise would end on Sunday, July 26, with designated registration centres operating from 9:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m.
“Your future won’t wait. Neither should you. The Continuous Voter Registration (CVR) exercise ends Sunday, 26 July 2026,” the commission stated.
INEC also reminded prospective voters that they could complete the process online through its dedicated CVR portal or visit designated INEC offices and registration centres nationwide for physical registration.
Under the Electoral Act 2022, the commission is required to suspend voter registration, updates and revisions to the voters’ register at least 90 days before an election to allow for data clean-up, the production of Permanent Voter Cards (PVCs) and other logistical preparations.
The law also mandates the display of the voters’ register for claims and objections within the stipulated period to enable eligible Nigerians to challenge omissions or errors before the final register is certified for elections.
INEC said the ongoing exercise is aimed at ensuring that all eligible Nigerians are captured in the voters’ register ahead of future elections.
According to data released by the commission, a total of 2,970,257 eligible Nigerians had registered by Phase III, Week Nine of the CVR exercise as of July 17, 2026.
The exercise has, however, been suspended in Osun State ahead of the forthcoming governorship election in compliance with Section 9(6) of the Electoral Act 2022.
The commission’s data showed that 970,865 registrants (33.79 per cent) completed the process online, while 2,000,092 (66.21 per cent) registered physically at designated centres across the country.
Female registrants accounted for 1,561,765 (52.57 per cent), while male registrants stood at 1,409,192 (47.43 per cent).
Young Nigerians dominated the exercise, with 2,003,183 registrants aged between 18 and 34, representing 67.43 per cent of the total.
Those aged 35 to 49 accounted for 645,651 registrations, while 294,443 persons aged between 50 and 69 registered during the period. Another 27,680 persons aged 70 and above also registered, representing 0.93 per cent of the total.
By occupation, students recorded the highest number of registrations at 695,026 (23.39 per cent), followed by business owners with 626,523 (21.09 per cent). Farmers and fishermen accounted for 505,402 registrations (17.01 per cent), while 480,682 housewives (16.18 per cent) also registered.
Other occupational groups included artisans (152,184), traders (133,834), civil servants (74,507) and public servants (47,778).
INEC also recorded the registration of 32,361 persons living with disabilities.
State-by-state data showed that Kano recorded the highest number of registrations with 234,305, followed by Lagos (140,546) and Edo (139,313).
Other states with significant registrations include Delta (132,330), Taraba (113,409), Ebonyi (111,344), Sokoto (109,076), Ogun (96,571), Bauchi (96,061), Jigawa (95,592), Kaduna (92,505), Benue (88,840), Oyo (88,716), Imo (88,155), Anambra (87,195), Nasarawa (86,914), Cross River (86,559), Bayelsa (80,425), Niger (76,841), Kwara (76,084), Katsina (74,896), Gombe (74,152), Yobe (71,382), Kebbi (70,859), Kogi (69,713), Adamawa (65,505), Borno (44,866), the Federal Capital Territory (41,700) and Plateau (31,352).