The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) says it has registered 93,220 new voters in Edo ahead of the 2027 general elections.

Obo Effanga, resident electoral commissioner (REC) in Edo, disclosed this on Friday during a news conference in Benin as the commission released the timetable for the final phase of the continuous voter registration (CVR) exercise in the state.

Mr Effanga said the final phase of the registration exercise would run from Monday, May 11, to July 10 across the state’s 18 local government areas.

According to him, INEC has deployed two voter enrolment devices to each local government area and published detailed schedules showing registration venues and dates for all wards.

“We are going to follow the schedule strictly. If on a given date we say we are going to be in a specific place and you do not find our people there, please let us know,” he said.

The REC said the 93,220 registrations were recorded during the first two phases of the exercise conducted between August 2025 and April.

He explained that the figures would still undergo screening to remove cases of multiple registrations and ineligible applicants before being added to the voters’ register.

“As of the last governorship election in Edo, we had 2,629,025 registered voters.

“At the end of the first two phases between August 2025 and April, INEC registered 93,220 persons,” he said.

Mr Effanga urged eligible Nigerians, especially youths who recently turned 18, to take advantage of the exercise and avoid waiting until the deadline.

“The time to register is now. Nigerians have the tendency to wait until the end and later complain that they did not have the opportunity,” he said.

He clarified that only Nigerians who were at least 18 years old at the time of registration are eligible to register and vote.

“For you to vote in Nigeria, you must be a Nigerian, and you must be up to 18 years of age on the day of registration,” he added.

Mr Effanga also said that residents seeking a transfer of voting locations, correction of personal details, or replacement of permanent voter cards (PVCs) could process their requests online through INEC’s voter portal.

He assured that new PVCs generated from the current registration exercise would be ready before the 2027 general elections.

The REC attributed Edo’s relatively lower registration figures compared to some South-South states to additional voter registration opportunities conducted in the state prior to the 2024 governorship election.

“Edo had more opportunities for voter registration than many other states in the last four years,” he said. 

(NAN)