YPP urges INEC to extend voter registration

The Young Progressive Party has called on the Independent National Electoral Commission to extend the Continuous Voter Registration exercise, warning that eligible Nigerians who are yet to register risk being excluded from participating in the 2027 general elections.

The call was contained in a statement issued on Sunday and jointly signed by the YPP FCT Chapter Chairman, Abraham Adedotun, and the party’s FCT senatorial candidate, Blessing Benyeogor.

The party said, “The closure of the registration exercise could disenfranchise many Nigerians, particularly young people who had not yet completed the registration process.”

The YPP said its demand followed concerns raised by political actors and civil society groups over access to voter registration and the need to ensure that eligible citizens were not excluded from the electoral process.

It urged INEC to consider the concerns of Nigerians who were unable to register and explore measures to give them another opportunity to be captured on the voters’ register.

“As preparations for the 2027 elections continue, it is important that no eligible Nigerian is left out of the electoral process,” the party said.

The party also urged INEC to remain an impartial umpire and take measures to strengthen public confidence in the electoral process and Nigeria’s democracy.

It maintained that extending the registration exercise would help promote broad participation and strengthen public confidence in the electoral process.

Recall that INEC had initially scheduled the 2025–2026 CVR exercise to run until August 30, 2026, but subsequently revised the timetable, setting an earlier operational deadline and later extending the final phase to July 26, 2026.

The commission announced on July 26 that the exercise would close that day, urging eligible Nigerians who had not registered to take advantage of the remaining time.

INEC subsequently ruled out another extension, saying further delays could affect its preparations for the 2027 elections.

The commission had also introduced a self-service online registration option during the final phase, allowing eligible first-time voters to complete the process electronically.

Against this background, the YPP urged INEC to reconsider the closure of the registration exercise and provide another opportunity for eligible citizens who were unable to register or complete the process.

According to the YPP, ending the exercise could disenfranchise many Nigerians, particularly young people who had yet to complete their registration.