COPDEM Calls For Extension Of Voter Registration And Full Compliance With Federal High Court Judgment

The Coalition for the Protection of Democracy (COPDEM) has urged the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to extend the ongoing Continuous Voter Registration (CVR) exercise and ensure full compliance with the Constitution, the Electoral Act 2022, and the subsisting judgment of the Federal High Court by keeping voter registration open until at least 90 days before the 2027 General Elections.

In a formal letter delivered to the Chairman of INEC at the Commission’s headquarters in Maitama, Abuja, COPDEM drew attention to the judgment delivered on 22 November 2022 in Anaja Salmat & 3 Others v. INEC (Suit No. FHC/ABJ/CS/1342/2022). In that decision, the Federal High Court held that voter registration should continue until 90 days before a general election in order to protect the constitutional voting rights of eligible Nigerians. The Court further ruled that the premature closure of voter registration could amount to an unreasonable exercise of INEC’s powers where a substantial number of eligible citizens remain unregistered.

COPDEM expressed concern that ending the current registration exercise months before the constitutional deadline could disenfranchise millions of Nigerians and undermine the inclusiveness, credibility, and legitimacy of the 2027 electoral process.

The coalition noted that many citizens are still unable to register because of insecurity, displacement, poverty, inadequate registration centres, poor internet connectivity, transportation difficulties, and insufficient voter education. It also observed that a significant number of young Nigerians will attain voting age before the 2027 elections, while many Nigerians currently residing abroad are expected to return home before the polls and should not be excluded from participating in the democratic process.

COPDEM’s Demands

COPDEM called on INEC to:

– Maintain the Continuous Voter Registration exercise until approximately 18 October 2026, being 90 days before the Presidential and National Assembly elections scheduled for 16 January 2027;

– Publish a clear and comprehensive CVR timetable consistent with the Constitution, the Electoral Act 2022, and the Federal High Court judgment;

– ⁠Expand registration opportunities through additional fixed and mobile registration centres, particularly in rural communities and Internally Displaced Persons (IDP) camps;

– ⁠Intensify nationwide voter education and public awareness campaigns to ensure that every eligible Nigerian is informed and encouraged to register; and

– ⁠Take all necessary administrative measures to prevent the disenfranchisement of first-time voters and other eligible citizens.

Speaking on behalf of the coalition, COPDEM National Chairman, Rwang Pam Jr, said:

”Democracy is strengthened when every eligible citizen has an equal opportunity to vote. The right to vote begins with the right to register. INEC must comply with both the Constitution and the judgment of the Federal High Court by ensuring that no Nigerian is denied that fundamental democratic right through the premature closure of voter registration.”

COPDEM Opposes Mandatory Email Requirement for Voter Registration

In a related development, COPDEM also called on INEC to immediately remove the compulsory requirement for an email address during the ongoing Continuous Voter Registration exercise.

The coalition warned that making an email address mandatory could disenfranchise millions of otherwise eligible Nigerians who do not own smartphones or maintain functional email accounts. According to COPDEM, the constitutional right to register and vote should not be made dependent on access to digital technology.

COPDEM questioned how an inclusive general election can be achieved if a registration requirement has the potential to exclude a significant segment of the population. The coalition cited publicly available findings indicating that smartphone ownership remains limited for a large proportion of Nigerian adults, underscoring the country’s persistent digital divide.

The organisation stressed that many Nigerians—particularly those in rural communities, low-income households, and among the elderly—rely on basic mobile phones or have limited access to internet services. Requiring a functional email address as a condition for voter registration, COPDEM argued, creates an unnecessary barrier to electoral participation.

The coalition therefore urged INEC to review the registration process without delay by making the email field optional rather than compulsory, thereby ensuring that all eligible Nigerians can register regardless of their level of digital access or technological literacy.

”Electoral inclusion must not be sacrificed on the altar of digital exclusion. Every eligible Nigerian should have an equal opportunity to register and vote, whether or not they own a smartphone or maintain an email account,” the coalition stated.

COPDEM reiterated that its intervention is motivated solely by the national interest and the need to guarantee free, fair, credible, and inclusive elections in 2027. The coalition expressed confidence that full compliance with the Federal High Court judgment would strengthen public confidence in Nigeria’s electoral process and deepen democratic participation across the country.