The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has announced the commencement of the final phase of its Continuous Voter Registration (CVR) exercise on May 11, 2026 a sixty-day window running through July 10 that will allow eligible Nigerians to register for the first time, update personal details, transfer registrations across locations, and replace lost or damaged Permanent Voter Cards (PVCs).
In Onitsha North, reactions to the announcement ranged from cautious optimism to pointed frustration. For some, the exercise represents a second chance; for others, it has exposed the inadequacies of a system that has left registered voters without their cards and migrants without a clear pathway to electoral participation in their new communities.
At Onitsha’s bustling Ose Market, trader Madam Ofoegbu welcomed the announcement with measured enthusiasm. The extended timeline, she said, would allow those who missed earlier registration windows to fully complete the process a view echoed by Chinedu Okwaradike, a fuel pump attendant and young voter who acknowledged that prior work obligations had kept him from registering.
“I have been busy with work, but I will try to make time this round,” Okwaradike said, reflecting a sentiment common among young working-class residents for whom civic participation often competes with economic necessity.
Desmond, a mechatronics engineering graduate navigating the pressures of early career life, said the exercise had brought him back to a civic obligation he had long deferred. “I will visit a nearby registration centre if I am unable to register online,” he said, noting that the availability of both in-person and digital channels had lowered the barrier to participation.
Not everyone’s concern was about first-time registration. Mrs. Uzoamaka, a teacher at Kingdom Heritage Model School in Onitsha, faces a bureaucratic hurdle familiar to millions of Nigerians who have relocated since their initial registration. Having originally registered in Abakaliki, she must now transfer her voter details to Onitsha a process that, while provided for under INEC’s framework, remains poorly understood by many citizens.
“I first registered in Abakaliki. Now I need to transfer it to Onitsha and revalidate my details,” she said, underscoring the need for clearer public communication around the transfer mechanism ahead of the exercise’s launch.
The most pointed grievance came from Chima Kingsley Nwodu, who said he remained unable to collect his Permanent Voter Card despite appearing in INEC’s registration database. His case speaks to a persistent bottleneck that has disenfranchised an untold number of Nigerians who completed registration but never received their cards and who now face uncertainty over whether the CVR exercise will resolve or compound their predicament.
INEC has framed the final CVR phase as a critical step in improving the accuracy and inclusivity of the national voter register ahead of future electoral cycles. Residents have been urged to take advantage of the exercise’s full timeline to address outstanding registration issues before the July deadline.
Whether that window will be long enough and whether INEC’s infrastructure on the ground will meet the demand remains to be seen.
Kelechi is of the Ministry of Information, Anambra State
