The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) disclosed that the COVID-19 pandemic is delaying the continuous voter registration (CVR) exercise ahead of 2023 general election.

This was disclosed by Rotimi Oyekanmi, the Chief Press Secretary to the INEC chairman while speaking with newsmen.

Oyekanmi said the commission had planned to resume the exercise in the first quarter of 2020.

There have been calls on the electoral umpire to continue registering voters after it suspended the exercise in the buildup to the 2019 elections.

Oyekanmi said the commission is not oblivious of carrying out the voter registration exercise amid the pandemic.

“This virus is still very much with us and we are not out of the woods yet. The CVR is a national exercise that requires the mobilization of a lot of equipment, materials and personnel. The 10 fingerprints of the registrants will be captured. This has implications in the context of the COVID-19 protocols,” he told TheCable

The INEC spokesman, however, added that the commission would meet “in a matter of weeks” to consider all options and decide on “the best route to follow.”

“Definitely, INEC will resume the CVR exercise but we have to think carefully and put a safe and sustainable plan in place to do it,” he said.

As of 2018 when INEC suspended the registration of voters, the country’s voting population stood at 84 million which translates to just 42 per cent of the entire population of 198 million.