The Independent National Electoral Commission says it has registered 36,638 new voters at the end of phase I of the Continuous Voter Registration.

Sa’ad Idris, the resident electoral commissioner in Gombe, said this during a stakeholders’ meeting on phase II of the exercise on Thursday.

He said the voters comprised 14,976 males, representing 42 per cent, and 20,475 females, representing 58 per cent, registered in various centres across the state, while 1,187 others were registered outside the state.

The REC said the commission also recorded 7,613 transfers, 9,031 incidents, and 1,383 collected PVCs in Gombe.

While appraising the progress of the exercise, Mr Idris said the registration figures remained low compared to other states in the north, despite improvements.

“A comparison with some northern states, including those facing security threats, may paint the picture better: Kano 167,790; Sokoto 162,299, Zamfara 106,906, Borno 126,816, while Yobe recorded 55,070,’’ he said.

Mr Idris urged stakeholders to intensify advocacy to mobilise participation in the exercise, and charged the media and security agencies to provide accurate information and to ensure a peaceful and secure environment for registration activities.

“While we continue with these efforts, I wish to remind stakeholders of the dangers of multiple registrations.

“Aside from the fact that it is an offence, the act actually amounts to a waste of time for both multiple registrants and genuine registrants who are often discouraged by long queues.

“We need you to sensitise the public that once you have registered in the past, you don’t need to register again. You can request a replacement if your PVC is lost or damaged and transfer if you have changed location,’’ he said.

(NAN)