Sokoto declares work-free day to boost PVC registration

The Sokoto State Government has declared Friday, July 24, 2026, a work-free day for civil servants to enable eligible workers who have not registered as voters to participate in the ongoing Continuous Voter Registration (CVR) exercise conducted by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).

The announcement was contained in a statement issued on Thursday by the Director-General of Media and Publicity, Government House, Sokoto, Abubakar Bawa.

Governor Ahmed Aliyu said the decision was aimed at providing civil servants with adequate time to obtain their Permanent Voter Cards (PVCs) ahead of the 2027 general elections.

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“We have declared Friday, July 24, 2026, a work-free day to enable civil servants of voting age who have not yet registered to participate in the ongoing voter registration exercise and obtain their Permanent Voter Cards,” the governor said.

Aliyu urged all eligible civil servants who are yet to register to take advantage of the opportunity, stressing that the PVC remains the only legal instrument through which citizens can exercise their constitutional right to vote.

“I urge all eligible civil servants to make use of the work-free day to register and obtain their PVCs so they can participate in the forthcoming general elections,” he said.

The governor noted that his administration remains committed to promoting civic participation by ensuring workers are not denied the opportunity to fulfil their democratic responsibilities.

“Our administration is committed to ensuring that civil servants are given every opportunity to participate in national assignments and exercise their civic rights,” he added.

He also appealed to other eligible residents of the state, particularly those who have recently attained voting age or are yet to register, to utilise the extension granted for the CVR exercise.

Aliyu reminded residents that the extended voter registration exercise will end on Sunday, July 26, 2026, and urged all eligible voters to complete their registration before the deadline.