The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has concluded the nationwide Continuous Voter Registration (CVR) exercise ahead of the 2027 general election, assuring Nigerians who participated that their votes will count.
INEC also gave assurance to voters that every valid vote would count in the coming elections.
INEC Chairman, Prof. Joash Amupitan, assured Nigerians that the commission remains committed to conducting credible elections in which every valid vote will count.
Speaking during a courtesy visit to former Head of State and Chairman of the National Peace Committee, Gen. Abdulsalami Abubakar (rtd), in Minna, Niger State, Amupitan stated that despite the pressures facing the commission, it would ensure that the will of the electorate prevailed.
“Our determination is to see ordinary Nigerians go out and vote with confidence that their votes will be counted and reflected in the outcome of elections,” he said.
In his remarks, Abdulsalami called on Nigerians to support INEC in its efforts to deliver credible elections, saying sustained public confidence in the electoral process is vital to the country’s democracy.
Meanwhile, INEC has been urged not to be carried away by the figures recorded in the current Continuous Voters Registration exercise but strive to make it a permanent feature in order to capture all eligible voters
President of the Committee for the Defence of Human Rights (CDHR), Comrade Yinka Folarin and Prof Murtala Mohammed of the Northwest University, Kano gave the counsel in separate interviews.
Folarin urged INEC to make voter registration a permanent exercise rather than a periodic one, saying the move would improve citizens’ participation in elections.
Professor Murtala Muhammad of North West University, Kano said while the increase in number is “a positive indicator of democratic expansion,” electoral legitimacy depends on more than registration figures.
“Registration figures alone should not be mistaken for effective inclusion,” he stressed, noting that civic awareness, accessibility, trust in institutions and actual voter turnout are equally critical.
