SERAP Threatens To Sue INEC If Voters’ Registration Deadline Is Not Extended

On Friday, the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) extended the deadline for political parties to conclude their primary by 6 days but did not give any update about online registration of voters.

The Socio – Economic Rights And Accountability Project (SERAP) has threatened to sue the electoral umpire if it fails to also extend the deadline for online registration exercise as well.

Despite scheduling the presidential primaries from May 28 to June 1, the Commission also deferred to the political parties by extending deadline for conduct of primaries by six days.

INEC said the 6-day period between 4th and 9th June 2022 “does not conflict with the next scheduled activity which is the submission of the list of nominated candidates or any of the subsequent timelines which remain sacrosanct.”

But SERAP stated via its Facebook page on Saturday that INEC cannot listen to the voice of politicians and ignore the right of Nigerians who are yet to complete registration exercise for an election slated for 2023.

“Following the extension of party primaries’ deadline by the Independent National Electoral Commission(INEC), we call on the body to immediately extend voters’ registration exercise to ALSO give more time for Nigerians to exercise their rights.

“We’ll sue INEC if voters’ registration is not immediately extended,” SERAP wrote.

On INEC’s website, it reads that “Online registration ends 30th May 2022”; the timeline, it says, will afford people the opportunity to complete their application and schedule appointment for biometric capture.