Titus Eleweke, South East Editor
AWKA, Anambra – The Anambra State Resident Electoral Commissioner (REC) of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Dr. Queen Ejiofor appeals for release of Igbo youths held at Wawa Barracks Agwu, has urged residents of the state to take advantage of the ongoing Continuous Voters Registration (CVR) exercise and avoid waiting until the final days.
Dr. Agwu disclosed that a total of 4,423 new voters have been registered across Anambra State within the last four weeks of the exercise.
She made this known during a media interaction in Awka on Wednesday, where she encouraged all eligible citizens aged 18 years and above to register and obtain their Permanent Voter Cards (PVCs).
“I want to sincerely urge Ndi Anambra to come out en masse and register for the ongoing voter registration exercise, which will end on April 17, 2026. Let us not wait until the closing days to rush for registration, as there may be no extension after the deadline,” she said.
“This is already the fourth week of the exercise, yet only 4,423 persons have been registered across the state. Many of our registration centres are almost empty. People need to take this exercise seriously,” she stated.
While appealing for increased participation, the REC warned residents against double registration, stressing that the system would automatically detect and invalidate such attempts.
“Anyone who registers twice will be screened out by the computer, and all the effort will be wasted. Please, do not attempt double registration,” she cautioned.
Dr. Agwu further emphasized that the Permanent Voter Card is no longer useful only for voting but has become one of the most important means of identification in Nigeria.
“The voter card does so many things today. It is no longer used only for voting; it serves as a vital and authentic means of identification in the country. Everybody needs to have it, and it is something you obtain once in a lifetime,” she explained.
She clarified that eligible voters can register at any location and be assigned to their preferred ward for voting.
She also revealed that INEC would be visiting various wards for registration in collaboration with the President Generals of communities, who would inform residents ahead of such visits.
However, she urged residents not to wait for INEC officials to visit their wards before registering.
“People can simply visit their local government headquarters to register. There is no need to wait until we come to your ward,” she advised.
The REC also appealed to the Anambra State Government to assist in mobilizing citizens for the ongoing registration exercise, noting that government directives carry significant influence.
“Government pronouncements carry more weight than those of other institutions. The government should encourage our people to do what citizens in other states are already doing,” she said.
Reflecting on the 2025 Anambra State governorship election, Dr. Agwu expressed satisfaction with the conduct of the exercise, describing it as one of the best off-season elections in the country.
“There was no single glitch during the election, even though we had backup machines. We had no reason to replace any device because everything worked as expected,” she noted.
She further assured Nigerians that the 2027 general elections would witness even better outcomes, as INEC continues to improve its technology and systems.
“We are working hard and constantly improving our technology. We are making steady progress to ensure that our systems function optimally in future elections,” she assured.
