Former Kaduna governor Nasir El-Rufai visited a church in Imo State on Saturday, urging residents of the South-East to participate in voter registration for the upcoming 2027 elections. He emphasized the importance of civic engagement through the Permanent Voter’s Card (PVC).
El-Rufai, a prominent figure in the African Democratic Congress coalition, speaking during his church visit, stressed that Nigeria’s democracy is shaped by citizens exercising their right to vote rather than appointments or selections. He described registering to vote as a crucial responsibility for every eligible citizen.
El-Rufai cited recent Continuous Voter Registration (CVR) data indicating the region is trailing behind other parts of the country, expressing concern over the low voter registration rates in the South-East. He made an appeal to women in the area, mothers, sisters, and daughters, to motivate young adults to register, particularly those who will soon be eligible to vote.
The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) launched the current CVR campaign nationwide on August 25, 2025. The exercise is open to new voters aged 18 and older, those seeking to collect, transfer, or replace their PVCs. By September 4, over 2.5 million Nigerians had pre-registered online, but only a fraction had completed the physical registration required to validate their registration.
Geographically, the Southwest region leads in new registrants, followed by Northcentral and FCT, Northwest, Northeast, Southsouth, with Southeast lagging at the bottom. Completion rates mirror this trend, with Southeast having the fewest fully registered voters.
INEC’s National Commissioner, Sam Olumekun, reminded the public that the online step is only preliminary; individuals must complete the in-person procedure to have a valid PVC.
Officials urge the public to complete all registration steps to ensure their voices count in shaping the country’s political future.
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