Voters’ Registration: INEC Bows, Extends Deadline to 60 Days

Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, has bowed to the call for an extension of the voters’ registration exercise by extending the deadline to 60 days.

 

Newsonline reports that INEC said the extension was to ensure that all Nigerians of voting age register to cast their vote in the coming 2023 general election.

 

Newsonline had reported that SERAP and other 185 concerned Nigerians secured an interim injunction from a Federal High Court, in Abuja, barring INEC from closing the voters’ registration exercise on June 30.

 

SERAP in the court argued that the closure would disenfranchise many Nigerians from exercising their fundamental human rights if INEC is allowed to go ahead with the closing date.

 

The Federal High Court on Monday granted the prayer of SERAP and mandated INEC to appear before it and show course while it should not grant a perpetual injunction.

 

The Chairman of the House of Representatives Committee on Electoral Matters, Aishatu Jibril Dukku, on Wednesday, while briefing lawmakers told members during a plenary session that the Commission had agreed to extend the voters’ registration to 60 days.

 

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The House of Representatives also called on the Commission to deploy additional staff and voter registration machines across the country to meet the objective.

 

Newsonline had reported that many complaints have been made to INEC on shortage of materials in the South-East of the country.

 

Labour Party presidential candidate, Peter Obi had called on INEC to address issues of material shortage that is hampering voters’ registration in the South-East region.

 

By the extensionof the Voters’ resgistration exercise to 60 days, Nigerians shall have the opportunity to get registered to August.