‘Constitutionally and legally Impossible,’ INEC reacts to court judgement ordering resumption of voter registration

The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) on Tuesday said it would be constitutionally and legally impossible to resume voter registration before the 2023 elections.

INEC had ended the registration exercise in July but civil society groups have kicked, arguing that the move would disenfranchise millions of Nigerians.

On Tuesday, a Federal High Court in Abuja reportedly ordered the Commission to resume voter registration until 90 days before the election.

However, speaking on a monitored Channels Television programme on Tuesday, INEC National Commissioner and Director of Voter Education, Festus Okoye, said the commission was yet to obtain the true certified copies of the court ruling.

Okoye also suggested that voter registration ahead of the 2023 elections was more-or-less over.

“It would be constitutionally and legally impossible for the Commission to resume the Continuous Voter Registration exercise,” Mr Okoye said.

He also noted that INEC was working on improving the voter registration process for future elections.