JUST IN: Court Orders INEC To Resume Voters Registration

A federal high court in Abuja ordered the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to resume the continuous voter registration (CVR) exercise.

Justice Inyang Ekwo delivered the judgement on Tuesday. Ekwo said the exercise ought to last until 90 days before the 2023 general election.

n June 2021, the commission launched a portal where Nigerians can register or request to update their voter information before they complete the process physically at designated centres.

INEC had earlier fixed June 30 as the deadline for the CVR ahead of the 2023 elections.

But a federal high court in Abuja had stopped the commission from ending the exercise, following a suit filed against the electoral umpire by Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project (SERAP) and 185 persons.

The commission consequently extended the voter registration till July 31.

However, in a fresh suit marked FHC/ABJ/CS/1343/2022 filed by one Anajat Salmat and three others, the plaintiff argued that INEC cannot stop the continuous voter registration before the time stipulated by law.

In the judgment delivered on Tuesday, Ekwo agreed with the plaintiffs and ordered the electoral umpire not to deprive citizens of the opportunity to have their voter cards for the forthcoming poll.

“The case of the plaintiffs succeeds on merit,” the judge declared.