INEC Intensifies CVR to Ensure Only Eligible Nigerians Register

INEC intensifies CVR to ensure only eligible Nigerians register.
Sokoto State ranks third nationally with over 162,000 new voters.
Collaboration with courts and NIS protects electoral integrity.

The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has stepped up efforts to safeguard the integrity of the Continuous Voters Registration (CVR) exercise, pledging to eliminate multiple registrations and ensure that only eligible Nigerian citizens of voting age are enrolled nationwide.

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EKO HOT BLOG reports that the Commission said it has intensified collaboration with key institutions, notably the Judiciary and the Nigeria Immigration Service (NIS), as part of a broader strategy to protect the credibility of the national voters’ register.

INEC described the CVR as the foundation for the entire electoral process and stressed that verifying age, citizenship, and identity is essential.

Resident Electoral Commissioner for Sokoto State, Umar Yusuf Garba, disclosed that INEC is working with courts to validate age declarations and supporting documents, while engaging the NIS to ensure that only Nigerian citizens, particularly in border communities, are registered.

“We want to be certain that registrants are Nigerians and that they have attained the constitutional voting age of 18, using verifiable records such as birth documents, primary school certificates, and court-issued age declarations,” Garba said.

He added that such inter-agency cooperation is vital to prevent non-citizens from infiltrating the electoral register, especially given Nigeria’s porous borders. Garba also revealed that Sokoto State recorded over 162,000 new voters during the first phase of the CVR, ranking third nationally behind Osun and Kano states.

The REC noted that INEC has expanded voter education and public awareness campaigns to encourage participation and discourage malpractice.

He further called for the establishment of a special electoral offences tribunal to deter violations and strengthen public confidence.

“INEC is learning, improving and correcting past mistakes. With dedicated personnel and stronger institutions, we are steadily moving towards a more credible electoral system,” he said.