The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has extended the ongoing Continuous Voter Registration (CVR) in Edo and Ondo states from the original end date of Wednesday, June 5, to Sunday, June 9, 2024.
The CVR allows eligible citizens who are not registered voters to register and enables current voters to transfer their registration from other states to Edo and Ondo or within different locations in these states ahead of the upcoming governorship elections.
Sam Olumekun, INEC’s national commissioner and chairman of the Information and Voter Education Committee, announced the extension in a statement released in Abuja yesterday. The decision followed appeals from stakeholders.
The registration hours have been extended from 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. daily. Additionally, the number of registration centers has increased beyond the initial 397 wards and the two state offices in Benin City and Akure, now including all 36 local government offices of the commission in both states. More machines will be deployed to areas with specific needs, such as rugged terrains or regions with communal issues.
As of Monday, Olumekun reported that 120,458 new voters had registered in Edo and Ondo states. Detailed information on the names and locations of the LGA offices is available on INEC’s website and social media platforms for registrants’ guidance.
The registration statistics show that 55,861 (46.4%) of the new voters are male, and 64,597 (53.6%) are female. Most registered voters, 82,003 (68.8%), are youths aged 18-34. Students constitute 43,419 (36.8%) of the registrants, while 812 (0.67%) are persons with disabilities.
Olumekun emphasized that these are preliminary figures, with final numbers to be published after the exercise and data cleanup using the Automated Biometric Identification System (ABIS).
INEC urges eligible voters to take advantage of this extension to register, transfer, or correct personal information on their PVCs, as no further extensions will be granted.
