The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has cautioned non-citizens against participating in Nigeria’s ongoing Continuous Voter Registration (CVR) exercise, stressing that only eligible Nigerians are permitted to register and vote.
Speaking in Bauchi on Thursday during an interactive session ahead of Phase Two of the CVR, Bauchi State Resident Electoral Commissioner, Umar Ibrahim, commended security agencies for detecting a non-citizen who was mistakenly registered in Phase One. He said:
“The Commission notes the role played by members of the Inter-Agency Consultative Committee on Election Security in identifying a non-citizen who was erroneously registered. The Commission has commenced the necessary statutory processes to rectify the anomaly in accordance with the law.”
Ibrahim urged stakeholders to intensify sensitisation and mobilisation efforts, adding:
“As Phase II progresses, the Commission enjoins all stakeholders to continue to engage actively in voter sensitisation, mobilisation and public enlightenment, to ensure that all eligible citizens avail themselves of the opportunity to register and collect their Permanent Voter Cards.”
Also speaking at the event, Danladi Abdulkadir, representing the Nigeria Immigration Service, reiterated:
“No non-citizen, under any circumstance, is allowed to vote or be voted for in Nigeria.”
Phase One of the CVR, conducted between August 18 and December 10, 2025, recorded 41,973 new registrations (22,188 males and 19,785 females). Out of 37,658 uncollected PVCs from previous exercises, 1,888 were retrieved, leaving 35,770 outstanding. The exercise also processed thousands of voter record updates, transfers, and replacements, while registering 101 Persons with Disabilities.
Phase Two began nationwide on January 5, 2026, and will run until April 17, 2026. INEC, after reviewing Phase One, identified challenges such as overcrowding, long distances to centres, security concerns, and difficult terrain. To address these, the Commission approved the rotation of Voter Enrolment Devices across registration areas from February 2 to April 10, with the final week dedicated to local government offices.
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