It Would Be Impossible To Resume Voter Registration Before 2023 Elections – INEC

Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) said it would be “constitutionally and legally impossible” to resume the Continuous Voter Registration (CVR) exercise.

Gatekeepers News reports that INEC had initially fixed June 30 as the deadline for the CVR exercise which started in 2021, however, the commission later extended the deadline to July 31.

Nevertheless, some individuals and Civil Society Organisations subsequently instituted legal action against the commission for ending the exercise, saying it should only be stopped 90 days before the election, as stipulated by law.

On Tuesday, Gatekeepers News reported that a Federal High Court in Abuja had ordered INEC to resume the CVR exercise.

NAN clarified that the court refused to grant the request of the plaintiffs.

In reaction to this, the INEC spokesperson, Festus Okoye during an interview on Channels Television said INEC has not received the Certified True Copies (CTCs) of the judgement of the court.

Okoye said it will be “realistically impossible” for the commission to resume voter registration.

The INEC spokesperson cited challenges of resources and mobilisation of security personnel as factors that may prevent a resumption.

Okoye said, “It would be constitutionally and legally impossible for the commission to resume the continuous voter registration exercise.

“This is without prejudice to the commission’s position that we abide and obey judgements and orders from properly constituted courts of law.

“Realistically, it will be next to impossible for the commission to mobilise the necessary resources to go back and start the CVR.

“Second, realistically, it will be next to impossible to mobilise the number of personnel required to carry out the exercise.

“It will also be next to impossible to mobilise the number of security personnel that will be required to continue the CVR.

“Realistically, it will be logistically impossible for the commission to mobilise and go back to the exercise.”