Court Orders INEC To Resume Voter Registration

Justice Inyang Ekwo of the Federal High Court, Abuja, has ordered the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to immediately resume Continuous Voters Registration (CVR) until 90 days before the 2023 general elections.

Delivering Judgement, Justice Ekwo also directed INEC to ensure that eligible Nigerians are not deprived the opportunity to have the voters’ cards for the forthcoming poll.

He held that it was the constitutional responsibility of the electoral umpire to make adequate provision for the exercise in accordance with the Nigerian laws.

One Anajat Salmat and three others had sued INEC arguing that the electoral body cannot stop the voter registration contrary to the stipulated provisions of the constitution.

They urged the court to order the electoral umpire to resume the exercise in accordance with the law of the country.

INEC had in July suspended the CVR after a one-month extension following the Federal High Court’s dismissal of a suit filed by the Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project (SERAP) which sought an extension of the exercise beyond June 30, 2022.