The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) in Ekiti State has announced the commencement of the second phase of the Continuous Voter Registration (CVR) exercise, beginning today, January 15, 2026.
The Resident Electoral Commissioner (REC) in Ekiti, Dr Bunmi Omoseyindemi, disclosed this while speaking with journalists in Ado-Ekiti. She called on political parties, civil society groups, and other stakeholders to mobilise eligible residents who were unable to participate in earlier registration phases.
Dr Omoseyindemi placed particular emphasis on youths who have recently attained the age of 18, urging them to take advantage of the exercise to secure their right to vote. She also warned against multiple registrations, stressing that such offences attract sanctions under the law.
The CVR exercise was earlier suspended on December 10, 2025, to allow for the display of the provisional voters’ register. During the suspension, registrants were given the opportunity to review their details and request corrections, especially errors related to names and personal information.
Meanwhile, INEC has revealed that only about 2.57 million Nigerians have completed their voter registration out of the 9.89 million who initiated the process online during the first phase of the ongoing CVR nationwide.
According to the Commission’s Director of Voter Education and Publicity, Victoria Eta-Messi, a total of 9,891,801 Nigerians carried out online pre-registration, but just 2,572,054 completed the process either physically at INEC centres or fully online.
A breakdown of the figures shows that Osun State recorded the highest number of completed registrations with 200,251 new voters. Kano followed with 151,604, Imo with 144,912, and Sokoto with 141,526. Ekiti ranked among the states with the lowest turnout, recording 14,691 completed registrations. Other states with low figures include Abia (15,263), Ondo (17,200), Enugu (18,056), and Ebonyi (26,510).
Eta-Messi explained that the first phase of the CVR began with online pre-registration on August 18, 2025, while in-person registration started on August 25 and ended on December 10. She added that the preliminary voters’ register was displayed for claims and objections from December 15 to 21, in line with Section 19 of the Electoral Act 2022.
She noted that the second phase of the CVR, which commenced today, is aimed at expanding voter participation ahead of future elections. According to her, the display of the register took place at local government offices where registration was conducted.
INEC urged Nigerians who registered, transferred their registration, or updated their information during the previous phase to carefully verify their details and report any inaccuracies. The Commission also encouraged citizens to report the names of deceased or otherwise ineligible persons included in the register.
Eta-Messi stressed that public scrutiny remains critical to maintaining the credibility and integrity of the voters’ register.
She further clarified that the CVR exercise remains suspended in Anambra State and the Federal Capital Territory due to ongoing electoral activities, noting that new dates for those areas will be announced by the Commission in due course.
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