Political parties and other stakeholders in Ebonyi State have called on the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, to extend the ongoing Continuous Voter Registration, CVR, exercise.
They warned that thousands of eligible voters, particularly in rural communities, risk being disenfranchised if the exercise ends as scheduled.
The appeal comes as INEC prepares to conclude the third and final phase of the nationwide voter registration exercise on July 26, 2026.
Speaking in Abakaliki on Tuesday, the Ebonyi State Chairman of the African Democratic Congress, ADC, Dr. Jennifer Adibe-Nwafor, said an extension had become necessary to enable more eligible Nigerians to obtain their Permanent Voter Cards, PVCs, noting that the general election is still more than 100 days away.
According to her, many elderly people and residents of remote communities are yet to register due to limited access to registration centres, adding that ending the exercise as scheduled could deny thousands of citizens the opportunity to participate in the electoral process.
She urged eligible residents of Ebonyi State to take advantage of the registration exercise by registering or updating their voter information where necessary, stressing that voting remains the most effective means of influencing democratic governance.
Commenting on the participation of opposition parties in the state, Adibe-Nwafor disclosed that the ADC had successfully uploaded the names of its candidates for the governorship, senatorial, House of Representatives and Ebonyi State House of Assembly elections. She stressed that opposition parties remain actively engaged in the state’s political process.
Also speaking, businessmen Fidelis Oge and Michael Igwe appealed to INEC to deploy additional registration personnel and equipment to rural communities across the state, saying the shortage of registration machines had prevented many eligible voters from completing the registration process.
They urged the electoral umpire to consider extending the exercise to ensure that all eligible Nigerians willing to register are given the opportunity to participate in the forthcoming general elections.