By Nkechi Eze
The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has announced that over 168,000 new voters have been registered in Anambra State as part of its preparations for the forthcoming off-cycle governorship election in the state. This was disclosed following the Commission’s regular weekly meeting held on Thursday, 24th July 2025, during which it received the final report on the just-concluded Continuous Voter Registration (CVR) exercise, alongside a presentation by the ICT Department on the newly developed party registration portal.
In an official statement issued by the National Commissioner and Chairman of the Information and Voter Education Committee, Sam Olumekun, INEC confirmed that a total of 168,187 new registrants were recorded in Anambra, the highest number achieved in a two-week period in the state since the CVR exercise was introduced ahead of the 2017 governorship election. The CVR, initially scheduled to end on 17th July, was extended to 29th July 2025 following appeals by members of the public, which led to the impressive turnout.
Though the figures remain preliminary pending a comprehensive data clean-up process, the Commission provided a demographic breakdown of the registrants. Of the total, 97,832 representing 58% are female, while 70,355 or 42% are male. A further analysis revealed that young people aged 18 to 34 constituted the largest age group with 90,763 or 53.97% of the total registrants. In terms of occupation, 62,157 or 36.92% are businessmen and women, while 44,243 or 26.31% are students. The Commission also recorded 1,216 Persons with Disabilities (PWDs), including 303 individuals with physical impairments and 207 with albinism. The full breakdown has been published on INEC’s website and other public platforms.
INEC announced that the next step in the registration process is the display of the preliminary register of new voters for claims and objections. This will take place in all 326 Wards in Anambra State from Saturday, 26th July to Friday, 1st August 2025. Following this phase, the data will undergo further validation through the Automated Biometric Identification System (ABIS) before the verified registrants are added to the existing voter register. The final list will be published on a Polling Unit basis ahead of the election.
The Commission also assured all eligible voters in Anambra, especially new registrants and those who applied for transfer or replacement of lost or damaged Permanent Voters’ Cards (PVCs), that their cards will be ready for collection well ahead of the election. PVCs from previous registration exercises will also be available. With just 105 days to the governorship poll, INEC reaffirmed its commitment to meeting all deadlines despite the tight timelines.
On the issue of political party registration, the Commission disclosed that it has concluded the final phase of internal testing for its new party registration portal, which was designed and developed by its ICT officials. The portal, like previous technological innovations of the Commission, has been demonstrated before the full Commission and approved for deployment.
The Commission is currently evaluating the numerous letters of intent it has received to determine which associations meet the statutory requirements to proceed to the application stage. A full report on the status of applications is expected at the Commission’s next regular meeting.
INEC further revealed that it has received 10 additional letters of intent from associations seeking registration as political parties, bringing the total number of applications to 144. Details of these new associations including their proposed names, acronyms, logos, addresses, and interim leaderships have been published on the Commission’s official website and social media platforms for transparency and public engagement.
The Commission assured Nigerians that it remains committed to updating the public regularly on its activities, as it continues preparations not only for the Anambra governorship election but also for the broader advancement of Nigeria’s electoral processes.
