INEC extends voter registration in Anambra as new registrants hit 96,000 in 9 days

The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has announced a three-day extension of the ongoing Continuous Voter Registration (CVR) exercise in Anambra State, following strong turnout and appeals from citizens.

The decision was taken at INEC’s regular weekly meeting held on Thursday, July 17, where the Commission reviewed preparations for the upcoming off-cycle governorship election in Anambra and progress on new political party applications.

According to a statement signed by National Commissioner and Chairman, Information and Voter Education Committee, Sam Olumekun, the CVR, which was originally scheduled to end on Thursday, July 17, will now continue until Sunday, July 20, 2025.

INEC disclosed that as of Wednesday, July 16, a total of 96,085 new voters had been registered within just nine days of the exercise — an average of over 10,600 registrations per day across all 326 centres in the state.

In addition to new registrations, 12,595 voters applied for transfers of their voter records either within or outside Anambra, while 7,061 applicants requested updates or replacements for lost or damaged Permanent Voter Cards (PVCs).

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“The Commission is encouraged by the enthusiasm shown by the people of Anambra and the peaceful conduct at all registration centres,” Olumekun said. “We urge all eligible citizens who are yet to register to take advantage of the extended timeline.”

INEC also announced that once the CVR concludes, the preliminary register of voters will be displayed for claims and objections, as mandated by law, and the data will undergo cleaning via the Automated Biometric Identification System (ABIS) to eliminate double or fraudulent registrations.

A preliminary breakdown of the registrants shows that 56,017 (58%) of new voters are female, while 50,429 (52.48%) fall within the youth demographic, aged 18 to 34 — a trend analysts say highlights growing youth engagement in the electoral process.

Electoral experts have commended the Commission for its responsiveness, but advised that future voter registration exercises should be extended further and more digitized to avoid last-minute rushes.

“This is a positive move by INEC, especially ahead of a critical governorship election,” said electoral reform advocate Chuka Ezenwugo. “But we must begin to think of long-term structural improvements, including more mobile registration units and online pre-enrolment, to truly deepen participation.”