….As CVR exercise ends, moves to next phase
Citypost News Desk
The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has announced the conclusion of the Continuous Voter Registration (CVR) exercise in Anambra State, recording a total of 168,187 new registrants; the highest figure within a two-week period since the inception of the CVR process in 2017.
This was revealed by Mr. Sam Olumekun, mni, National Commissioner and Chairman of INEC’s Information and Voter Education Committee (IVEC), in a statement released on Thursday, July 24, 2025, following the Commission’s weekly meeting in Abuja.
The CVR, originally scheduled to end on July 17, was extended by three days to July 20, in response to appeals from stakeholders. According to Mr. Olumekun, the high turnout reflects increased public interest in the electoral process ahead of Anambra’s upcoming off-cycle governorship election.
Preliminary data indicates that 97,832 (58%) of the new registrants are female, while 70,355 (42%) are male. Notably, 90,763 (53.97%) of the registrants fall within the 18–34 age group, underscoring strong youth participation.
In terms of occupation, businessmen and women represented the largest group with 62,157 registrants (36.92%), followed by students with 44,243 (26.31%). The registration also captured 303 persons with physical disabilities and 207 individuals with albinism.
INEC has uploaded a detailed demographic breakdown of the data on its official website and digital platforms for public access.
Mr. Olumekun announced that the next phase involves the display of the preliminary register of voters across Anambra’s 326 Wards from Saturday, July 26 to Friday, August 1, 2025. During this period, the public is encouraged to inspect the register and raise claims or objections where necessary.
Following this, the Automated Biometric Identification System (ABIS) will be used to clean the data and eliminate duplicates or ineligible entries. The final register will then be updated and published by polling units.
Assuring the electorate, Mr. Olumekun confirmed that Permanent Voter Cards (PVCs) for new registrants, as well as those who applied for transfers or replacements, will be ready ahead of the election.
“With 105 days to the election, the Commission is fully aware of the timelines and reassures all registrants in Anambra State that their PVCs will be available for collection before the polls,” he stated.
In a related development, INEC has completed internal testing of a newly developed online portal for political party registration, built in-house by its ICT Department. The portal has been approved for deployment after undergoing demonstration before the Commission.
Mr. Olumekun also disclosed that INEC is currently reviewing 144 letters of intent from political associations, including 10 recent submissions, to assess their eligibility for registration.
To ensure transparency, the Commission has published the names, acronyms, logos, interim leadership, and contact details of the applying associations on its website and official channels.
“We remain committed to keeping Nigerians fully informed of all our activities,” Mr. Olumekun concluded.
