INEC Extends Deadline for CVR, Registers 23 New Political Parties

14^th August, 2018

The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has extended the deadline for the Continuous Voter Registration (CVR) exercise to 31^st August. It also approved the registration of 23 new political parties.

According to a statement issued on 14^th August by National Commissioner and member of the Commission’s Information and Voter Education Committee (IVEC), Mallam Mohammed Haruna, the decision was taken at the Commission’s regular meeting held earlier today.

Haruna recalled that the CVR commenced on 27^th April 2017, when the Commission decided to make the exercise truly continuous for the first time as envisaged under the Electoral Act 2010 (as amended), by opening permanent registration centres in all the country’s 774 local government areas and 672 other centres to make it an all-year round affair.

Haruna averred: “Nigerians who turn 18 years and who had not registered previously have an opportunity to register. Consequently, the current CVR has been going on for 16 months. As at 11th August 2018, the Commission has registered an additional 12, 139, 061 new voters.

He added: “In order to have enough time to clean up the provisional register and print the Permanent Voter’s Card (PVC) in good time for the general elections, the Commission, after consultation with stakeholders, decided to suspend the exercise with effect from 17th August 2018, to resume after the elections.

“However, many Nigerians have appealed to the Commission to extend the exercise. Consequently, the Commission has decided to extend the CVR to 31st August 2018. The exercise will continue in all the designated registration centres every day, including weekends, but excluding public holidays, between 9am and 5pm. The Commission wishes to inform the public that the ongoing collection of PVCs will not end with the CVR exercise. Collection of PVCs will continue until close to the general elections.”

On the registration of new political parities, Haruna revealed that the Commission had received a total of 144 applications from political associations seeking registration as political parties. He explained that after a rigorous process of evaluation, in accordance with provisions of the Constitution and the Electoral Act, which included assessment of the constitutions and manifestos of the intending parties and verification of membership of their executive committees and offices, 23 associations met all the requirements and were subsequently granted approval.

He said: “This brings the number of political parties to 91 and will be the last round of registration of parties until after the general elections on 16th February 2019. This suspension is in line with Section 78 (1) of the Electoral Act, which requires all applications for registration as political party to be concluded latest six months to a general election.”

The newly registered political parties will receive their certificates of registration at the Commission’s headquarters on Thursday, 16^th August.

Haruna also announced that the Commission would on Friday 17^th August issue the Notice in respect of the 2019 General Elections.

His words: “On the 9th of January 2018, the Commission issued the Timetable and Schedule of Activities for the 2019 General Elections. The first of 14 activities in that timetable is the issuance of Notice of Election, which is scheduled for Friday, 17th August 2018 in accordance with Section 30 (1) of the Electoral Act, 2010 (as amended). This activity kick-starts the countdown to the 2019 general elections.”

LIST OF 23 POLITICAL PARTIES REGISTERED ON

14^TH AUGUST, 2018