INEC Adds Three Extra Days to Voter Registration in Anambra

The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has extended the ongoing voter registration exercise in Anambra State by three days, moving the deadline from July 17 to July 20.

The decision came after several appeals from residents and civic groups who asked for more time to complete their registration. INEC responded by granting the extension during its weekly meeting held at its headquarters in Abuja.

The registration exercise, part of the preparations for the upcoming governorship election, has seen strong participation across the state. Over nine days, 96,085 new voters have registered at the 326 designated centres, averaging more than 10,600 people per day. The commission praised the peaceful and orderly conduct of the process so far.

INEC revealed that 12,595 people have also requested transfers of their voter registration, while 7,061 others have applied for replacements or updates of damaged or missing Permanent Voter Cards (PVCs).

Early data shows that women and youth are leading the turnout. Of the new registrants, 56,017 are women, making up 58 percent, while over 50,000 are young people between the ages of 18 and 34.

After registration ends on July 20, INEC will display the preliminary list of registered voters for public scrutiny. This will allow individuals to file complaints or raise objections. A biometric verification will also follow to clean the data and remove duplicates. The final list of registrants, categorized by age, gender, occupation, and disability status, will be published afterward.

As part of its wider responsibilities, INEC also confirmed it had received five new requests from associations seeking to register as political parties, bringing the total number of pending applications to 134. Information on these applications has been shared on INEC’s official website and social media pages for public review.

The commission said it remains committed to openness and public engagement ahead of the Anambra governorship election, which is set to take place on November 8.