The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has announced a record breaking 168,187 new voter registrations in Anambra State during the final push of the Continuous Voter Registration (CVR) exercise.
The figure, described as the highest recorded in a two week period since the introduction of the CVR ahead of the 2017 governorship election, was disclosed during the Commission’s regular weekly meeting on Thursday, July 24, 2025.
“As earlier announced by the Commission, the CVR scheduled to end on 17th July 2025 was extended to 29th July 2025 following appeals by citizens,” INEC stated in its press release.
“The final figure of new registrants is 168,187, which is the highest number recorded in two weeks in Anambra State since the introduction of the CVR ahead of the governorship election in 2017.”
The Commission in a letter singed by Sam Olumekun, National Commissioner and Chairman,
Information & Voter Education Committee, emphasised that while the figures are preliminary and subject to data clean-up, the detailed demographic breakdown provides critical insights into the state’s voter demographics.
Women dominated the new registrations, accounting for 58% of the total figure. “The detailed breakdown shows that 97,832 (58%) are female while 70,355 (42%) are male,” INEC revealed.
Young voters also played a significant role, with 53.97% of registrants falling within the 18-34 age bracket. “In terms of age, 90,763 (53.97%) are young people aged 18-34,” the Commission noted, highlighting the strong participation of youth in the electoral process.
The occupational distribution of the new registrants showed that business owners formed the largest bloc, followed by students. “The occupational distribution shows that 62,157 (36.92%) are businessmen/women while 44,243 (26.31%) are students,” INEC reported.
For Persons with Disabilities (PWDs), the Commission provided a detailed breakdown, noting that “303 (24.92%) have physical impediment, followed by 207 (17.02%) with albinism.” The full dataset has been uploaded to INEC’s official website and other platforms for public access.
With the registration phase concluded, INEC has outlined the next steps in the electoral process. “The immediate next step is to display the preliminary register of new voters for claims and objections by citizens who are the ultimate owners of the register,” the Commission stated.
This exercise will take place across all 326 wards in Anambra State from Saturday, July 26, to Friday, August 1, 2025.
Following the display period, INEC will conduct an Automated Biometric Identification System (ABIS) clean-up to eliminate multiple registrations before integrating the new voters into the existing register.
“Once this process is concluded, including the ABIS, the new registrants will be added to the existing register and published on Polling Unit basis ahead of the election,” the Commission assured.
INEC also addressed concerns about the tight timeline for Permanent Voter Card (PVC) distribution, with just 105 days remaining until the governorship election.
“The Commission is aware of the tight timelines but we wish to reassure all new registrants in Anambra State that their PVCs will be available for collection ahead of the election,” the statement read.
In addition to the voter registration update, INEC provided an update on political party applications, revealing that “the Commission has received 10 more letters of intent from associations seeking registration as political parties, bringing the number so far to 144.”
The Commission reiterated its commitment to transparency, stating that details of all new associations—including names, acronyms, logos, and interim leadership—have been published on its website. “We will continue to update Nigerians on all our activities,” INEC affirmed.
The surge in voter registration reflects heightened political engagement in Anambra State as the governorship election approaches. With 168,187 new voters, a strong youth turnout, and increasing interest from political associations, INEC’s latest data underscores the state’s dynamic electoral landscape.
“We are fully committed to ensuring a credible, transparent, and inclusive electoral process,” INEC concluded, urging stakeholders to cooperate in the remaining phases of preparation.
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