COPDEM Seeks Extension Of Voter Registration, Removal Of Mandatory Email Requirement

The Coalition for the Protection of Democracy (COPDEM) has called on the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to extend the ongoing Continuous Voter Registration (CVR) exercise until at least 90 days before the 2027 General Elections, in compliance with the Constitution, the Electoral Act 2022 and a subsisting judgment of the Federal High Court.

The coalition made the demand in a formal letter submitted to the INEC Chairman at the commission’s headquarters in Maitama, Abuja.

Speaking on behalf of the coalition, COPDEM National Chairman, Rwang Pam Jr, said democracy was strengthened when every eligible citizen had an equal opportunity to vote.

COPDEM referred to the judgment delivered on November 22, 2022, in Anaja Salmat & 3 Ors v. INEC (Suit No. FHC/ABJ/CS/1342/2022), in which the Federal High Court held that voter registration should continue until 90 days before a general election to safeguard the constitutional rights of eligible Nigerians to vote.

The court also held that prematurely terminating voter registration, while millions of eligible citizens remained unregistered, could amount to an unreasonable exercise of INEC’s powers, the coalition stated.

COPDEM warned that closing the registration exercise months before the constitutional deadline could disenfranchise millions of Nigerians and undermine the inclusiveness and credibility of the 2027 electoral process.

The coalition said insecurity, displacement, poverty, inadequate registration centres, poor internet access, transportation difficulties and insufficient voter education had prevented many eligible Nigerians from registering.

It added that many young Nigerians would attain the voting age before the 2027 elections, while thousands of Nigerians living abroad were also expected to return home before the polls and should not be excluded from exercising their civic rights.

Consequently, COPDEM urged INEC to maintain the CVR exercise until approximately October 18, 2026, which it said would be 90 days before the presidential and National Assembly elections scheduled for January 16, 2027.

It also called on the commission to publish a clear and comprehensive CVR timetable consistent with the Constitution, the Electoral Act and the Federal High Court judgment.

The coalition further urged INEC to expand registration through additional fixed and mobile centres, particularly in rural communities and Internally Displaced Persons’ camps, while intensifying nationwide voter education and public awareness campaigns.

“The right to vote begins with the right to register. INEC must comply with both the Constitution and the judgment of the Federal High Court by ensuring that no Nigerian is denied that fundamental democratic right through the premature closure of voter registration,” he said.

In a related development, COPDEM also called on INEC to immediately remove the compulsory requirement for an email address from the ongoing CVR exercise.

The coalition expressed concern that making an email address mandatory could disenfranchise millions of otherwise eligible Nigerians who neither owned smartphones nor had functional email accounts.

According to COPDEM, the constitutional right to register and vote should not be made dependent on access to digital technology.

The organisation questioned how INEC intended to conduct an inclusive general election in 2027 while imposing a requirement that could exclude a significant section of the population from the registration process.

COPDEM cited findings published by Technology Times, based on a Research ICT Africa survey, which indicated that approximately 72 per cent of Nigerian adults did not own smartphones.

The coalition said the digital divide remained a significant challenge, particularly for Nigerians in rural communities, low-income households and the elderly, many of whom relied on basic mobile phones or had limited access to the internet and digital services.

It therefore urged INEC to make the email field optional rather than compulsory in the registration process.

“Electoral inclusion must not be sacrificed on the altar of digital exclusion. Every eligible Nigerian should have an equal opportunity to register and vote, whether or not they own a smartphone or maintain an email account,” COPDEM stated.

The coalition said its appeal was driven by the national interest and the need to guarantee free, fair, credible and inclusive elections in 2027.

It expressed confidence that full compliance with the Federal High Court judgment would strengthen public confidence in Nigeria’s electoral process and deepen democratic participation across the country.