By Sabiu Abdullahi
Former Labour Party presidential candidate Peter Obi has appealed to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to extend the ongoing voter registration exercise until the latest possible date before the 2027 general elections.
Obi made the appeal in a statement issued on Thursday. He argued that an extension would give more eligible Nigerians the opportunity to register and participate in the electoral process.
According to him, the request is necessary because “every day, more young Nigerians attain the age of 18 and become constitutionally eligible to vote.”
“They are not just our future; they are stakeholders in our present. It would be unfortunate if many of them were denied the opportunity to exercise their civic responsibility simply because the registration process closed long before the elections,” he said.
Obi also cited a Federal High Court judgment delivered on November 22, 2022, in Anaja Salmat & 3 Others v. INEC (Suit No. FHC/ABJ/CS/1342/2022). He said the ruling held that voter registration should continue until 90 days before a general election “to protect the constitutional voting rights of eligible Nigerians.”
The former Anambra State governor acknowledged the challenges involved in organising elections. He recognised INEC’s responsibility to conduct free, fair and credible polls. He also noted the need for enough time to clean the voter register and complete logistical arrangements.
He, however, urged the electoral commission to ensure that the registration process encourages wider participation.
“As we continue to encourage Nigerians to participate actively in our democracy, I respectfully appeal to INEC to consider extending the voter registration window to the latest practical date that still allows adequate time for the preparation of a credible voters’ register before the 2027 general elections,” Obi said.
“However, our electoral process should, as much as possible, maximise participation rather than limit it. A democracy is strengthened when every eligible citizen has the opportunity to be heard,” he added.
Obi further called on INEC to “adopt a registration timeline that protects the integrity of the process while ensuring that no eligible Nigerian, especially our young people, is unnecessarily disenfranchised.”
