The Resident Electoral Commissioner (REC) of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) in Anambra State, Dr. Queen Elizabeth Agwu, has explained that the Continuous Voter Registration (CVR) exercise begining on 8 July is strictly for the upcoming Anambra State Governorship Election scheduled for November 8, 2025, and not for the bye-election for the Senate and House of Assembly.
Dr. Agwu made this clarification during a press briefing where she outlined INEC’s program of activities for the year.
These include the conduct of the governorship election, senatorial bye-election, House of Assembly election, and the continuous voter registration exercise.
According to her, the CVR for the governorship election will commence on July 8, 2025, and end on July 17, 2025, running daily (including Saturdays) from 9:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m., excluding Mondays.
She urged eligible voters in Anambra State, including residents, to come out in large numbers to either register afresh or make necessary corrections to their biodata.
“Fresh registration must be done physically at designated INEC offices, while data revalidation or corrections can be done online. INEC will not register any person in absentia,” she stated.
She emphasized that registrations outside the approved hours will not be accepted, as the registration portal will automatically close at 3:00 p.m. each day.
The REC disclosed that training for adhoc electoral committees will take place on Friday and Saturday, as part of INEC’s preparation strategy for the governorship election.
“I appeal to the people of Anambra to take this opportunity seriously. Register and vote in the upcoming governorship election so you can play your part in choosing who governs you,” she added.
Dr. Agwu also revealed that after the registration period, INEC will publish the provisional register of voters for public inspection and correction, where necessary.
On the bye-election slated for August 16, 2025, she clarified that voters will use their existing Permanent Voter Cards (PVCs), and not the current CVR.
According to her ,a separate nationwide CVR will commence immediately after the bye-election to prepare for the 2027 general elections.
Dr. Agwu also disclosed that INEC has configured 300 Bimodal Voter Accreditation System (BVAS) scanners for the November election and has finalized arrangements with the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) for the deployment of corps members as ad hoc staff.
She warned citizens against any attempt to pay for voter registration or to register by proxy, declaring such actions illegal and ineffective.
On the early announcement of the governorship election date, she explained that INEC is mandated by law to issue a 360-day notice before the governorship election.
“We have already conducted sensitization programs for stakeholders in Anambra State as required by the Electoral Act.” she said .
She also addressed concerns about electoral misconduct, stating that INEC, in collaboration with security agencies, will not tolerate thuggery, vote-buying, or electoral violence during any phase of the election.
“We monitored the party primaries and submitted our reports to INEC Headquarters in Abuja. This is the first time that party primaries in Anambra have been conducted without violence,” she added.
According to her, 16 political parties have fielded candidates for the November governorship election.
She further appealed to voters to prioritize participating in the election.
“It’s not right to sit at home playing drafts on election day and later complain about poor governance. One vote can make a difference,” she said.
