Almost three years ahead of the next general elections in Nigeria, the country’s election umpire, the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), has said it will commence the registration of eligible voters for the elections as early as January 2021.
The information was disclosed by INEC Chairman, Professor Mahmood Yakubu, who, accompanied by the National Commissioners, Directors and Technical Team, spoke to members of the press after the Commission’s 2021 Budget Defense session before the Senate Committee on INCE in the capital city of Abuja.
According to Yakubu, the exercise, which will begin in January, will run for the next 18 months – and stop about six months before the elections. “For continuous voter registration, the Commission intends to resume voter registration in the first quarter of 2021. And once we resume, it will be continuous for one and a half years, at least until six months to the next general election,” he said.
How Much Will It Cost?
Following the presentation of the budget, the INEC Chairman also revealed that the exercise is expected to gulp approximately N1billion during its entire duration as it is a national exercise that requires the mobilization of a lot of equipment, materials, and personnel.
Future of Diaspora Voting
On the issue of diaspora voting, Yakubu disclosed that the commission is ready to “roll out” diaspora voting to promote more inclusive elections where eligible Nigerians can vote regardless of their location. He, was, however, quick to mention that diaspora voting lies largely with the National Assembly as they are yet to amend the 2010 Electoral Act. “But it requires the amendment to the constitution and the Electoral Act for that to happen. And we have already worked out the document. Once the law is amended today, we can roll out,” he said.
Why This Matters
It is important to note that the Continuous Voter Registration (CVR) exercise will capture both new registrants who have reached the national voting age of 18 years, and those who currently have issues with their previously issued Permanent Voters Card (PVC). Early registration goes a long way in capturing more voters ahead of the polls.
This story is part of our new series on Nigeria where we analyse electoral and political reform in the country ahead of the next general elections in 2023.
