The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has launched the third and final phase of its nationwide Continuous Voter Registration (CVR) exercise, giving eligible citizens a registration window from Monday, May 11, to Friday, July 10.
The announcement, made by INEC‘s Chairman of the Information and Voter Education Committee, Mohammed Kudu Haruna, marks the resumption of a registration drive that had been placed on hold since April 17, when the Commission suspended the second phase to undertake a comprehensive clean-up of the existing register.
With just under two months in the window, election observers and civic groups say the stakes could not be higher. Nigeria, Africa’s most populous nation and largest democracy, has historically grappled with voter apathy and low registration numbers among its youth population.
In language that carried both an invitation and an unmistakable sense of urgency, INEC appealed directly to citizens who have yet to enter the system.
“The third phase of the CVR, which begins on Monday, May 11, will end on Friday, July 10,” the commission’s statement read. “During this period, eligible citizens who have attained the age of 18, as well as those who were unable to register during the earlier phases, should seize this opportunity to do so.”
The message resonates deeply in a country where millions of young Nigerians, many of whom came of voting age in the years since the last major registration exercise, remain outside the electoral fold.
For them, this phase represents not merely a civic formality but a potentially defining moment in shaping the political landscape of the nation’s future.
Centers, beyond first-time registrants, INEC also directed its message at a significant category of already-registered voters, those who need to transfer their registration from one constituency to another, replace lost or damaged Permanent Voter Cards (PVCs), or correct errors in their biodata.
These individuals have been pointed toward the Commission’s dedicated online portal, a move that signals INEC’s growing push toward digital solutions in electoral administration.
The use of an online channel for such ancillary services is expected to ease pressure on physical registration centres, allowing field officials to focus their attention and resources on capturing new registrants across the country’s 36 states and the Federal Capital Territory.
Once the registration window closes on July 10, INEC has outlined a further layer of accountability built into the process. The Commission said it would display the Register of Voters for public claims and objections from Thursday, July 23, to Wednesday, July 29, a statutory requirement under Nigeria’s electoral laws that allows citizens to challenge inaccuracies, query ghost entries, or raise concerns about the integrity of the roll.
“This statutory exercise provides an important opportunity for citizens to scrutinize the register and assist the Commission in ensuring its accuracy, completeness, and credibility,” the statement noted, an acknowledgment, perhaps, that no registration exercise is beyond the reach of error and that public participation remains a critical safeguard.
Anticipating concerns about logistics, a recurring point of public anxiety in previous registration exercises that were marred by malfunctioning card readers, overwhelmed registration officials, and long queues at collection points, INEC moved to reassure the public that preparations were firmly in place.
“The Commission reassures Nigerians that all necessary arrangements have been concluded for the smooth conduct of the exercise,” the statement said, adding a final appeal for citizens to “play their part in strengthening the foundation of our electoral process.”
With the final phase of CVR now formally underway, the Commission has drawn a clear line in the sand: May 11 to July 10. For millions of Nigerians, the clock is now running.
WHAT YOU SHOULD KNOW
Nigeria’s electoral commission, INEC, has opened its final voter registration window from May 11 to July 10, 2025, and the message is simple. If you are 18 or older and not yet registered, this is your last chance.
Already registered but need to transfer, replace a lost PVC, or fix a biodata error? Head to INEC’s online portal.
A public display of the voters’ register will follow from July 23 to 29, giving Nigerians one final opportunity to verify and challenge its accuracy.
