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FALSE! INEC did not extend online voter registration

Claim: A WhatsApp user claims online voter registration has been extended till June 30. 

FALSE! INEC did not extend online voter registration

INEC’s online voter registration ended May 30, 2022, and has not been extended. Only physical registration continues till June 30, 2022. 

Full Text

Following the date extension for party primaries, the Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project (SERAP) called on the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to extend the deadline for voter registration. 

SERAP, which threatened to sue the commission if this is not done, said this will give Nigerians more time to exercise their rights.  

Amidst this, a WhatsApp user on Thursday, June 2, 2022, shared a screenshot on his WhatsApp status with the claim that online voter registration had been extended. 

The user shared this while urging the public to go and get their Permanent Voters Card (PVC).

This screenshot with the message “PVC registration; INEC extends online Registration to June 30! Please you have no excuse now,” carries the link to INEC’s Continuous Voter Registration (CVR) portal. 

FALSE! INEC did not extend online voter registration
Screenshot of the image shared on WhatsApp status. 

The public needs the right information about voter registration, hence the need for this fact-check 

Verification

A visit to INEC’s CVR portal showed an important notice that online registration ended May 30, 2022, while the CVR continues till June 30. 

FALSE! INEC did not extend online voter registration

Is online registration different from CVR? No, it is not. The CVR process involves voter registration (first by pre-registering online and completing it physically with biometric capturing), transfer of registered voters, change of registered voter details, and removal of registration details. 

Online registration is just a part of the CVR process that involves the applicant entering his/her details and scheduling an appointment for biometric capture.

DUBAWA reached out to INEC’s commissioner for information and voter education, Festus Okoye, for clarification. Mr Okoye said offline registration continues till June 30, 2022 and those who have corrections to make can do that online but online registration or pre-registration has ended. 

“The physical offline registration ends on the 30th day of June 2022. The online pre-registration has ended,” he said.

“However, those that want to transfer or those with lost or defaced PVCs can still go online and make corrections,” he added. 

The chief press secretary to the INEC chairman, Rotimi Oyekanmi, also confirmed that online registration was not extended. 

“The CVR has not been extended. The online pre-registration ended on May 30. But physical registration is still open till June 30,” he confirmed. 

Conclusion 

The claim that online registration has been extended is false and misleading as online registration ended May 30, 2022. Only physical registration is still ongoing and that is what will end June 30, 2022. So if you have not entered your details and scheduled a date for biometric capturing, you can no longer do that.

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