…REC pledges transparency, professionalism, fairness in Commission’s activities
By Peter Duru, Makurdi
The Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, has disclosed that no fewer than 184,064 new voters have been registered in Benue State in the first and second phases of the ongoing Continuous Voter Registration, CVR, exercise.
The Resident Electoral Commissioner, REC, in Benue State, Mallam Aminu Idris, made the disclosure on Thursday during his maiden press briefing at the Commission’s state office in Makurdi.
According to him, the first phase of the exercise recorded 55,866 new registrants while the second phase accounted for 128,198 new voters.
He explained that the figure represented only fresh registrations, noting that requests for transfer of registration, replacement of lost or damaged Permanent Voter Cards, PVCs, and updates of voter information also ran into thousands.
The REC stated that the ongoing third and final phase of the CVR exercise commenced on May 11, 2026, and would end on July 10, 2026.
He urged eligible residents of the state who had attained voting age but had not yet registered to take advantage of the exercise before the deadline.
He said, “Cumulatively, the first and second phases of the CVR exercise recorded a total of 184,064 new registrants to be added to the existing figure.”
Mallam Idris noted that youths between the ages of 18 and 34 constituted the largest percentage of the newly registered voters.
He, however, warned against double registration, stressing that persons already captured in the voter register should not attempt to register again, saying, “It is pertinent to emphasise that those who have been previously registered, with their names captured in the Register of Voters, need not register again. Failure to comply might lead to a total removal of the name from the Register or more punitive measures,” he warned.
The REC also revealed that INEC had commenced technical processes toward the restoration of suppressed state constituencies in Buruku, Gboko, Konshisha, Makurdi and Ukum Local Government Areas, LGAs, in compliance with judicial pronouncements.
According to him, the process had been completed in Buruku, Konshisha, Makurdi and Ukum LGAs, while challenges in two registration areas had delayed completion in Gboko LGA. “In Gboko, we encountered some challenges in two specific Registration Areas/Wards, and this made it difficult for the exercise to be concluded in that local government,” he explained.
Mallam Idris assured residents that the Commission would continue to conduct its activities with transparency, professionalism and fairness.
He also appealed to media practitioners to continue partnering with INEC in disseminating accurate and timely information to the public on electoral activities in the state.