INEC closes CVR as Osun election approaches
The Independent National Electoral Commission has officially closed the Continuous Voter Registration exercise across all 36 states and the FCT ahead of the Osun governorship election.
The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) officially closed the Continuous Voter Registration (CVR) exercise across all 36 states and the Federal Capital Territory. Electoral civil society groups urged the commission to ensure swift processing and distribution of Permanent Voter Cards (PVCs) ahead of upcoming governorship polls in Osun State.
The closure of the CVR marks an important milestone in the electoral calendar. The Osun governorship election, scheduled for August 15, will be the first major test of INEC’s preparedness since the 2023 general elections. The commission must now process the registrations and distribute PVCs to ensure that eligible voters can participate.
This echoes the 2022 CVR closure ahead of the Ekiti and Osun elections, which also saw civil society groups urging swift processing. The mechanism then was different, but the result was the same: a focus on voter registration and PVC distribution.
The winners: INEC, which has completed the registration exercise; and the voters who have registered. The losers: those who missed the registration deadline; and the Nigerian public, who must hope that the PVCs are distributed on time.
Bottom Line: INEC has closed voter registration. The Osun election is next. The question is whether the commission can deliver PVCs on time.