By Peter Omopo
Abuja, July 1, 2025 — The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) on Tuesday unveiled a detailed timetable outlining key elections for the 2025–2026 period and announced the nationwide resumption of the Continuous Voter Registration (CVR) exercise.
The announcement was made by INEC Chairman, Professor Mahmood Yakubu, during the second quarterly consultative meeting with Resident Electoral Commissioners (RECs) in Abuja.
According to a statement released on INEC’s official X (formerly Twitter) handle, the commission is preparing for an intensive electoral cycle featuring five major elections across multiple states.
“The five major elections highlighted in the new timetable include bye-elections in 12 states, slated for August 16, 2025, followed by the Anambra State Governorship election on November 8, 2025,” Yakubu said. “In 2026, we will conduct the Area Council elections in the Federal Capital Territory on February 21, the Ekiti Governorship election on June 20, and the Osun Governorship election on August 8.”
In a bid to update the national voter register, INEC also announced the resumption of the CVR process. Online pre-registration will begin on August 18, 2025, with in-person registration commencing nationwide on August 25.
However, in preparation for the Anambra gubernatorial election, voter registration in the state will begin earlier—next week—across all 326 wards. Yakubu explained that this is to ensure the voters’ register is ready at least 90 days before the election, in line with legal requirements.
During the meeting, Professor Yakubu also introduced two newly appointed National Commissioners, Professor Sunday Aja and Abdulrazak Yusuf, along with six newly sworn-in RECs attending the consultative session for the first time.
INEC urged Nigerians to take full advantage of the upcoming registration window to participate in the democratic process.
