The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) kicked off its Continuous Voter Registration (CVR) exercise on 18 August 2025, a critical step towards the 2027 Nigerian general elections. The process, mandated by the Electoral Act 2022 and the 1999 Constitution, aims to ensure that every eligible Nigerian can register, update their details, or collect their Permanent Voter’s Card (PVC) to participate in the democratic process. Running until 30 August 2026, the CVR offers online pre-registration through www.cvr.inecnigeria.org and physical registration at 811 INEC offices across Nigeria’s 36 states and the Federal Capital Territory, open from 9:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m., Monday to Friday.
By August 2025, INEC reported that over 2.5 million Nigerians had pre-registered online, with 51.88% female, 48.12% male, and 63.29% aged 18-34. Students made up 25.57% of registrants, while 1.96% were persons with disabilities. In the first five days of physical registration, starting 25 August, 72,274 completed the process. Osun State led online pre-registrations with 393,823, followed by Lagos (222,205) and Ogun (132,823). Despite these numbers, Nigeria’s voter turnout remains low, with only 27% of registered voters participating in the 2023 elections, prompting INEC and groups like the Christian Association of Nigeria to call for greater engagement, especially among youths and rural communities.
The CVR process is straightforward. Eligible Nigerians aged 18 and above, who are citizens and reside or work in the registration area, can register. They need identification like a National Identification Number (NIN) or birth certificate. Online, individuals create an account on www.cvr.inecnigeria.org, fill in details, upload two passport photos, and book a biometric appointment. Physical registration involves biometric capture (fingerprints and facial scans) at INEC offices, with PVCs available for collection within 1-3 months. Registered voters can also transfer their voting location, update details (e.g., name or address), or replace lost or damaged PVCs. INEC’s portal allows users to check PVC status and locate registration centres.
Violations of the Electoral Act 2022 carry stiff penalties. Multiple, underage, or proxy registrations attract a ₦100,000 fine, one-year imprisonment, or both. Illegal PVC possession or selling could lead to a ₦1,000,000 fine, 12 months in jail, or both. Impersonation or vote-buying incurs fines of ₦100,000 to ₦500,000 or 6-12 months imprisonment. Material snatching results in a 24-month jail term, and disorderly conduct carries a ₦500,000 fine or 12 months in jail. INEC uses biometric technology to detect fraud, ensuring a credible voter roll, currently exceeding 93 million across 176,846 polling units.
Despite INEC’s efforts, many Nigerians remain skeptical about the CVR and the electoral process.
Fairview Africa spoke to citizens to gauge their views on the ongoing voter registration, its importance, and barriers to participation. Their responses reveal a mix of apathy, distrust, and alternative motivations for engaging with the process.
Ona John, a young Nigerian, expressed complete disinterest in the CVR. “I never hear am before oh,” he said. “To me, it’s not important because nothing concern me. I am not ready to vote for anybody so. I never register and I no even get plans to register. The reason I don’t want to involve myself in voting is that me, I dey fear make e no go be say I don start to dey vote, then you go dey experience violence. You see people start to kill people, and me, I am not ready to die young.”
Electoral violence remains one of the most persistent threats to Nigeria’s democratic process. Past elections have been marked by widespread unrest, often leading to tragic loss of life. For example, in the aftermath of the 2011 general elections, violent clashes between supporters of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) and the Congress for Progressive Change (CPC) resulted in an estimated 800 deaths, making it one of the deadliest episodes of electoral violence in the country’s history.
Ahead of the 2023 elections, this pattern of insecurity persisted. Data from the Armed Conflict Location & Event Data Project (ACLED), working with the Centre for Democracy and Development, documented nearly 100 fatalities in election-related violence, of which approximately 75 were civilians. These deaths resulted from targeted attacks, mob violence, and abductions in politically volatile regions.
This evidence underscores how deeply entrenched the fear of violence remains in Nigeria’s electoral environment. It also highlights the urgent need for preventive strategies, ranging from stronger law enforcement presence to civic education and conflict-sensitive election planning.
Philip Enamel, another respondent, acknowledged the CVR but saw little value in voting. “Yes, I hear about it. Yes, it is important, but I am not doing it for voting,” he said. “I am doing it in case of any opportunities. I am doing it for my future, in case there’s any work I can apply for, because if I am not going to do it for voting, because voting in Nigeria is not going to count.” Enamel’s perspective highlights a growing trend where some Nigerians view PVCs as tools for accessing opportunities like jobs or government services, rather than for electoral participation. A 2023 Afrobarometer survey found that 42% of Nigerians believe elections do not reflect the true will of the people, fueling such pragmatic approaches.
Jude Ovoh echoed similar sentiments, citing disillusionment with the electoral system. “Actually, I have not heard about it, and I don’t think it’s important because voting in Nigeria doesn’t count,” he said. “I remember the last time I left my house to go vote at the polling unit. There, they were just telling us that we are just wasting our time, that what will happen will happen. And at the end, that’s what we saw.” Ovoh’s experience points to widespread frustration with electoral integrity. In the 2023 elections, INEC faced criticism over technical glitches and delays, with only 24.9 million of 93.4 million registered voters casting ballots, per INEC data. Allegations of rigging and voter suppression further eroded trust.
Public confidence in Nigeria’s electoral process remains weak. An Afrobarometer survey reported that only 23 percent of Nigerians trust the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) “somewhat” or “a lot,” while 78 percent say they trust it only “a little” or not at all (Afrobarometer). This widespread mistrust is one of the key challenges confronting Nigeria’s democracy.
The issue of participation further reflects this distrust. During the 2023 presidential election, overall voter turnout dropped to 26.71 percent of registered voters, one of the lowest in the nation’s history.
Despite this, youths remain a critical electoral bloc. Of the 12.3 million new registrants recorded by INEC before the 2023 elections, approximately 8.75 million (about 40 percent) were under 34 years old (Wikipedia). Civic observers also noted that 76 percent of these new registrants were under 34, a shift strongly influenced by youth-led movements such as #EndSARS, which mobilised large numbers of young Nigerians to register and engage politically.
These figures highlight a paradox: while trust in the electoral process remains critically low, Nigeria’s youth continue to demonstrate ML toboth demographic weight and political potential. Their engagement will remain decisive in shaping the credibility and inclusiveness of future elections.
To improve accessibility and ease of participation, the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) enhanced its Continuous Voter Registration (CVR) portal with features such as a live locator for registration centres, PVC status checks, and polling unit finders (INEC CVR Portal). These tools were designed to simplify voter engagement and ensure that citizens could more easily confirm their registration details.
However, the African Democratic Congress (ADC) raised concerns regarding the integrity of the CVR data, particularly in Osun State. According to ADC, the state recorded 393,269 pre-registrations in just one week, a figure that far exceeded the 275,815 new voters registered between 2019 and 2023. The party described the numbers as “statistically implausible” and called for a forensic audit of the data, including a state-by-state breakdown of registrations, as well as access to server logs and bandwidth usage.
In response, INEC dismissed the allegations as misleading, stressing that Osun’s figures were consistent with historical trends. The Commission noted that Osun also led in pre-registrations during the 2021/2022 CVR exercise. INEC further clarified that the reported numbers referred only to online pre-registrations, which still required biometric validation at physical centres before being accepted into the final voter register.
