A Coalition of Civil Society Organisations (CSOs) has called on the federal government to declare a public holiday for Nigerians to partake in the Continuous Voters Registration (CVR) ahead of the 2023 General Elections.

“We call on the federal government to declare a public holiday as a National Day of Action to encourage people to get registered,” the CSOs said.

Abideen Olasupo, project director of Brain Builders Youth Development Initiative, spoke on behalf of the coalition at a news conference in Abuja.

Mr Olasupo also appealed to private organisations to give days off to employees to register for their Permanent Voters’ Cards (PVCs).

“In exactly 17 days, June 30, the CVR will be suspended by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to clean up its data and print Permanent Voters Card (PVC) ahead of the 2023 general elections.

“We have witnessed an unprecedented surge in the number of Nigerians coming to get registered. We are adding our voices to the call for the extension of the deadline.”

Mr Olasupo said that the CSOs also hoped that the extension would accompany the decision to decentralise the registration exercise to the ward level and extend the registration days to the weekends.

“We strongly urge that citizens use all available means to ensure they are fully registered and for those already registered, to make sure they collect their Permanent Voters Card if and when available,” he said.

He said that the group appreciated the National Labour Congress (NLC) for developing a demand charter and urged them to complement the effort by mobilising all their members to register and vote.

The CSOs are Brain Builders Youth Development Initiative, Connected Development, Raising New Voices and Webfala Digital Skills For All Initiative.

Others are Building Block for Peace Foundation, Kimpact Development Initiative, Aspillos Foundation and SING Nigeria.

(NAN)