Makurdi – The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has announced it will commence a nationwide Continuous Voter Registration (CVR) exercise starting August 18, 2025, in preparation for the 2027 general elections.

INEC’s Resident Electoral Commissioner (REC) for Benue State, Prof. Sam Egwu, disclosed this in Makurdi, stating that the exercise is in accordance with constitutional provisions to register Nigerians who have turned 18 since the last election.

The CVR will be conducted across all 36 states and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), beginning with online pre-registration via the INEC website. This will be followed by physical registration at INEC Area Offices and other designated centres nationwide from August 25, 2025. The in-person registration will run Monday to Friday, between 9 a.m. and 3 p.m.

According to Prof. Egwu, the exercise aims to capture new eligible voters, including those who turned 18 after the 2023 elections, individuals previously unable to register due to being abroad, incarcerated, or disinterested. It will also address issues such as lost or damaged voter cards, corrections of personal details, and requests for transfers between wards, polling units, or states.

He warned against any form of payment or inducement for registration and urged citizens to take advantage of the process early to avoid last-minute challenges commonly experienced in past exercises.

Prof. Egwu added that special provisions have been made to accommodate Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) in the state. He said INEC will announce the closing date for this registration phase in due course to allow time for data collation and system updates.