The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has registered a total of 4,423 new voters in the ongoing Continuous Voters Registration  (CVR) in the last four weeks.

Disclosing this in an interactive session on Thursday, the Resident Electoral Commissioner, Dr. Queen Elizabeth Agwu, said a total of 4,423 voters have so far registered in the exercise, which ran from Jan 5 to April 17 this year.

“The Commission under my watch in Anambra State is highly impressed, and we believe that at the end of the ongoing nationwide registration, we will be among the states with a higher number of voters. The registration started on January 5th and is expected to end on April 17th, 2026,” she stressed.

She lamented that INEC recorded zero registrations in the first week, while 936, 1832 and 1455 registrants were captured in the second, third and fourth weeks, respectively.

She dismissed the apparent notion that the poor turnout was the result of voter apathy.

“There’s no registration apathy in the state, given that we registered just last July. So far, the figure is encouraging. The people are coming out.

“But we want to avoid a rush or a situation in which people will be calling for an extension after the registration expires,” she said.

The REC disclosed that registration would open on January 5 and was expected to conclude on April 17, 2026. She said the exercise has entered the fifth week across the 21 Local Government Council Areas of the state.

Agwu expressed satisfaction with the total registered figure, contending that the last CVR was held in July, and adding that it wasn’t expected to increase, given that new registrants had been captured in the build-up to the November 8, 2025, governorship election in the State.

According to her, the ongoing CVR is meant for the forthcoming 2027 general elections.

The REC attributed the success to collaborative support the Commission is receiving from other relevant stakeholders, including political parties, civil society organisations, the police, and the media.

The REC emphasised the need for eligible voters to take advantage of the exercise to obtain their voter cards.

Agwu warned against double registration, stressing that those who engage in double registration would have themselves to blame, as the system would reject such registrations during system cleansing.

She advised those who opt to change their residency and those with damaged voter cards to seize the opportunity to make the necessary corrections and amendments ahead of the 2027 elections.

According to her, the Commission has created two registration points across the 21 council areas of the State, where prospective registrants could come and complete the necessary registration.

“If we don’t register, we’re doing ourselves a disservice. Those who refused to register will negatively affect those who registered in one way or another.

“Remember, the card is not only for voting, but it’s a major, authentic card for personal identification.

“It’s your civic responsibility to obtain your card so you can vote. Meanwhile, it doesn’t take long to register.

“More so, Anambra is privileged to be among the few states that register twice a year due to its “stand-alone” status,” she said.

The REC urged residents aged 18 and above to come out en masse and register as soon as possible to avoid rushing.