Following a stakeholder review meeting, the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) announced that Voter’s registration in Edo and Ondo States has been extended. Registration was earlier slated to conclude on June 5th, 2024, in both states.

However, in response to stakeholder’s requests, the Commission announced that the deadline has been extended from Thursday, June 6th to Sunday, June 9th, 2024, to allow more eligible individuals to register. Similarly, the Commission extended the exercise’s duration from 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. daily.

Furthermore, it stated that “the number of centers has been increased beyond 397 wards, and that the two State Offices in Benin City and Akure now comprise all 36 Local Government offices of the Commission. More machines will also be deployed to regions recognized as having special needs, such as tough terrain or communal difficulties,”

Like the ward registration centers, INEC explained that comprehensive information on the names, locations, and addresses of the LGA offices has been provided on its websites and social media platforms to guide registration in the two States.

Meanwhile, the Commission said that the exercise is progressing in both States. It stated, “As of Monday, June 3, 2024, eight days after the start of the CVR, a total of 120,458 new voters have registered. Of this proportion, 55,861 (46.4%) are male and 64,597 (53.6%) are female.” It further stated that the majority of the 82,003 registered voters (68.8 %) are young people aged 18 to 34.

Regarding occupation, 43,419 (36.8 %) are students, while 812 (0.67 %) are people with disabilities. However, it stated that the results were preliminary and that the final figures would be issued on a state basis for all registration categories after the exercise, following data clean-up using the Automated Biometric Identified System (ABIS).

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