Following appeals from stakeholders, the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has extended the ongoing Continuous Voter Registration (CVR) in Edo and Ondo states by four days.
Initially set to conclude on Wednesday, the registration will now continue from Thursday, June 6, to Sunday, June 9, 2024, to allow more eligible persons to register.
In a statement on Tuesday, Sam Olumekun, National Commissioner and Chairman of the Information and Voter Education Committee, announced that the decision was made during a meeting in Abuja.
The registration hours have been extended to 9:00 am – 5:00 pm daily. Additionally, the number of registration centers has increased to include all 36 Local Government offices in the two states, alongside the existing 397 wards and state offices in Benin City and Akure.
As of Monday, June 3, 2024, the CVR exercise had registered 120,458 new voters. \
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The statement noted, “The number of centers has been increased beyond the 397 wards and the two State offices in Benin City and Akure to include all the 36 Local Government offices of the Commission in the two states. More machines will also be deployed to areas with peculiar needs such as difficult terrain or communal issues. Detailed information on the names and locations of the LGA offices has been uploaded to our website and social media platforms for the guidance of registrants in the two states.”
The registration has recorded significant progress, with 55,861 (46.4%) male and 64,597 (53.6%) female registrants.
A majority of the new voters (82,003 or 68.8%) are youths aged 18-34. In terms of occupation, 43,419 (36.8%) are students, and 812 (0.67%) are Persons with Disability (PWDs).
The statement emphasized that these figures are preliminary, and final numbers will be published on a state-by-state basis after data cleanup using the Automated Biometric Identification System (ABIS).
INEC has urged eligible voters to take advantage of the extension to register, transfer, or correct personal information on their Permanent Voter Cards (PVCs) as per the law. The commission has stated that no further extensions will be granted.
