In the Federal Capital Territory and the 19 Northern states, the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) has urged Nigerians to actively participate in the Independent National Electoral Commission’s (INEC) ongoing Continuous Voter Registration (CVR) campaign.
Voter registration is still the first step for residents who are determined to have their opinions heard in governance, according to a statement released on Wednesday by Northern CAN Chairman Rev. John Joseph Hayab.
“Our votes count. If votes were useless, no one would attempt to buy them. Nigerians should understand that the real power lies in the ballot and not in money shared during elections,” Rev. Hayab said, urging Nigerians to put aside any doubts they may have about the significance of their votes. He also emphasized that religious leaders of all faiths should increase their level of awareness within their congregations and communities, describing faith-based platforms as powerful means of mass mobilization.
He also called on INEC to bring registration centres closer to people, especially those in rural and hard-to-reach areas, to ease the process for prospective voters.
INEC reports that physical registration started on August 25, 2025, while the online pre-registration portal opened on August 18, 2025. The experiment is slated to continue until August 30, 2026, across the Commission’s 811 state and local government offices countrywide.
The electoral umpire reported that more than 1.3 million Nigerians completed their online pre-registration in the first week of the operation, with young people between ages 18 and 34 making up the majority.
In particular, Rev. Hayab exhorted ladies and young people to take the exercise seriously and patriotically.
“You are selling your future and your conscience when you sell your vote. For a Nigeria based on justice, peace, and advancement, we must refuse inducements and maintain our resolve,” he stated.
In order to guarantee that no eligible Nigerian is excluded from the registration process, Northern CAN promised to keep collaborating with churches, civil society organizations, and local leaders.
