Attention To All Igbos In Lagos: Please Go And Register For Your Voters Cards Now.

Chief Leo Okafor, President, Ohanaeze Ndigbo Lagos.

It Is Time to Show Up and Be Counted in the 3rd Phase of INEC’s
Continous Voters Registration ( CVR ) exercise .

Lagos breathes with Igbo enterprise. Walk through the alleys of Idumota at dawn and you will see Igbo traders arranging goods. Stop by a construction site in Lekki and you will likely find Igbo artisans laying blocks. Enter a hospital in Ikeja and you may be treated by an Igbo doctor. From the mechanic tightening bolts to the banker closing deals in Marina, our people have stitched themselves into the fabric of this megacity through hard work, sacrifice, and resilience.

Yet when it comes to choosing who governs this same city, many of us step aside. That gap between our economic contribution and our civic participation is too wide, and the 3rd phase of Continuous Voters Registration (CVR) by INEC is the moment to close it.

This is not a call to support Party A or Party B.

It is a call to claim your stake in the place you call home. Whether you were born in Enugu, Onitsha, Owerri, or right here in Surulere, if Lagos is where you earn your living, raise your children, and pay your rent, then Lagos decisions affect you directly. And those decisions are made by elected officials who listen most to those who vote.

To our Igbo professionals, the architects, pharmacists, academics, and tech workers; you spend hours in boardrooms solving complex problems. Do not leave the problem of representation unsolved. A voters card does not diminish your professional standing. It amplifies it. It ensures that when budgets are drawn for hospitals, universities, or transport, your needs are on the table, not an afterthought.

To our traders and business owners across Balogun, Alaba, and Ladipo markets; you understand risk better than anyone. You know how a sudden policy shift or a bad road can wipe out months of profit. Registration is your insurance policy. It gives you the leverage to ask questions, to petition, and to hold officeholders accountable. Without it, you are only a spectator while rules that affect your livelihood are written without you.

To our artisans, drivers, tailors, and public and private sector workers; you feel the weight of daily realities most. The cost of fuel for your keke, the security on your street at night, the condition of the primary school your child attends. These are not abstract political issues. They are kitchen table issues. And the ballot is the most peaceful way to address them.

I know some will say, “We are non-indigenes, so our voice does not count.” That is a misconception that has cost us so much for too long. INEC’s requirement is simple; you must be 18 years and above, a Nigerian citizen, and a resident in the area where you intend to register. Lagos is your residence. That is all that matters!

There is also the fatigue. “What is the point? Nothing changes.” But nothing changes precisely because good people do not show up. The register is the foundation. No register, no voter card. No voter card, no vote. No vote, no say. The chain is that direct.

The 3rd phase of CVR will take place across all INEC offices and designated centers in every Local Government Area in Lagos, from 11th May 2026 to 10th July 2026.

Please be informed that Registration is FREE.

It takes only a few minutes. If you have relocated within Lagos, this is your chance to transfer your registration. If you lost your PVC or it is damaged, you can apply for a replacement now rather than rushing when elections approach.

Let us approach this with the same unity we show during town union meetings and cultural festivals. Let churches and mosques, age grades and market associations, all spread the word. Bring your brother. Bring your apprentice. Bring your staff. Leave political arguments for the campaign season. On registration day, we stand together as Lagosians of Igbo extractions, who want a better Lagos for all.

Our ancestors crossed rivers and built markets in strange lands because they believed in creating opportunities where none existed. Registering to vote is that same spirit applied to democracy. It is building opportunity for the next generation so they do not inherit our silence.

The future will not ask what tribe you are. It will ask whether you participated when you had the chance. Do not let that answer be no.

Once again, please be informed that the 3rd phase of CVR, organized by INEC is scheduled from 11th May 2026 to 10th July 2026.

Registration is FREE.

Therefore, Register today. Your PVC is your power.