Odimmegwa Johnpeter/Abuja
The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has approved the resumption of the Continuous Voter Registration (CVR) Exercise, which will begin in Anambra State on July 8, 2025 and continue nationwide later in August.
The Commission also announced Saturday, 16th August 2025, as the date for a new round of bye-elections in 16 constituencies across 12 states of the federation.
These announcements were made by INEC Chairman, Prof. Mahmood Yakubu, during the Second Quarterly Consultative Meeting with leaders of political parties held at the Commission’s headquarters in Abuja on Thursday, 26th June, 2025.
Coming at a pivotal time in the electoral calendar, with the Anambra governorship election just months away and preparations intensifying for the 2027 general election, the Commission’s latest schedule underscores its commitment to electoral transparency and inclusion.
Prof. Yakubu revealed that the bye-elections are necessitated by vacancies in two Senatorial Districts of Anambra South and Edo Central, five Federal Constituencies, and nine State Assembly seats, stemming from deaths, resignations, and legal disputes. A total of 3,553,659 registered voters across 32 Local Government Areas, 356 Wards, and 6,987 Polling Units will participate in the polls. To manage this electoral undertaking, INEC will deploy 30,451 officials.
He noted that, despite the declaration of vacancies, elections will not hold in two constituencies, Khana II in Rivers State due to the state of emergency, and Talata Mafara South in Zamfara State, where a legal challenge is ongoing. The Commission will, however, conduct two outstanding court-ordered rerun elections in Enugu South I (Enugu State) and Ghari/Tsanyawa (Kano State), which had previously been disrupted by violence. These reruns will be held concurrently with the bye-elections on August 16.
The timeline for party primaries is tight, with primaries scheduled to hold between July 17 and 21. The nomination portal will open on July 22 at 9:00 a.m. and close on July 26 at 6:00 p.m., while campaigns are expected to commence on August 2 and end at midnight on August 14.
In a related development, the Commission has scheduled the resumption of the CVR in Anambra State from July 8 to July 17, between 9:00 a.m. and 3:00 p.m. daily, including weekends. The exercise, which is limited to in-person registration, will hold in all 326 wards across the state. During this period, new voters, those seeking to transfer registration, individuals with lost or damaged Permanent Voter Cards (PVCs), and citizens yet to collect their PVCs will be able to do so at designated centres.
The Commission further announced that nationwide voter registration will resume in two phases: online pre-registration will begin on August 18, 2025, while physical registration will kick off on August 25 across all 37 State and FCT offices, as well as the Commission’s 774 Local Government offices. Detailed guidelines and the full schedule will be released in the days ahead.
Addressing party leaders, Prof. Yakubu used the opportunity to remind them of their responsibilities regarding upcoming elections. He urged them to comply strictly with the timeline for the Federal Capital Territory Area Council elections, where party primaries must end by June 30. Candidate nominations are to be submitted between July 21 and August 11, after which the portal will shut down automatically by 6:00 p.m. on the final day.
The INEC Chairman also cautioned against the denial of public facilities to opposition parties for campaigns, describing such actions as a violation of the Electoral Act. He stated that the Commission will work closely with the Inter-Party Advisory Council (IPAC) and the Advertising Regulatory Council of Nigeria (ARCON) to pursue legal action against perpetrators where there is prima facie evidence of abuse of incumbency.
In his remarks, the National Chairman of IPAC, Dr. Yusuf Mamman Dantalle echoed the need for a stronger commitment to credible electoral practices. Speaking on behalf of political parties, he emphasized that while the conduct of recent elections has improved, the consistently low voter turnout is cause for concern.
According to Dr. Dantalle, the apathy stems from a combination of fears: fear that votes will not count, fear of electoral violence, and a general loss of faith in candidates and political promises. He described this as unacceptable and stressed the urgency of rebuilding public trust in Nigeria’s electoral governance.
He charged political parties to lead by example by conducting transparent and rancour-free primaries, particularly for the FCT Area Council elections, and to steer clear of candidate imposition. For the Anambra Governorship election slated for November 8, he called for issue-based campaigns and urged politicians to shun the politics of bitterness that continues to obstruct the growth of Nigeria’s democracy.
Dr. Dantalle also acknowledged the promise that technology holds for election administration, praising INEC’s innovative strides and hinting at IPAC’s intention to explore artificial intelligence (AI) governance for internal processes such as membership drives and voter education. He stated that the Anambra election offers a fresh opportunity for the Commission to demonstrate its readiness and capability using centralised AI tools to strengthen electoral transparency, voter engagement, and risk management.
He further commended INEC and the Federal Government for initiating the construction of the Commission’s new headquarters annex, calling it a step in the right direction that will resolve long-standing space challenges and enhance the Commission’s institutional performance.
END
