Voter apathy empowers bad Leaders - CAN warns

 

‎The Christian Association of Nigeria, CAN, in the 19 Northern states and the Federal Capital Territory has called on Nigerians to take active part in the ongoing Continuous Voter Registration, CVR, exercise being conducted by the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC.
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‎In a statement, yesterday, Chairman of Northern CAN, Rev. John Hayab, said voter registration remains the first step for citizens determined to make their voices heard in governance.
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‎He urged Nigerians to discard doubts about the relevance of their votes, stressing that apathy only empowers politicians who benefit from low turnout.
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‎Rev. Hayab, appealed to religious leaders of all faiths to intensify sensitization within congregations and communities, describing faith-based platforms as effective channels for mass mobilization.
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‎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.
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‎According to INEC, the online pre-registration portal opened on August 18, 2025, while physical registration commenced on August 25, 2025. The exercise will run until August 30, 2026, across the Commission’s 811 state and local government offices nationwide.
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‎The electoral body disclosed that more than 1.3 million Nigerians completed their online pre-registration in the first week of the exercise, with young people between ages 18 and 34 making up the majority. It also reminded the public that the CVR covers fresh registration, transfer of voting locations, and replacement of lost or damaged voter cards, while warning that multiple registrations remain illegal.
‎Rev. Hayab particularly urged youths and women to embrace the exercise with seriousness and patriotism
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‎Northern CAN assured that it would continue working with churches, civil society groups, and community leaders to ensure that no eligible Nigerian is left out in the registration process.