Anambra On Alert: INEC Battles Massive PVC Neglect Before Voter Registration Begins

Ahead of the Continuous Voter Registration (CVR) exercise for the upcoming Anambra State governorship election, no fewer than 31,690 Permanent Voter Cards (PVCs) remain unclaimed, according to information obtained by The PUNCH on Thursday.

This figure is drawn from 2023 data released by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), which also recorded a total of 2,624,764 collected PVCs in the state.

The CVR process is a standard electoral procedure that gives eligible Nigerians a chance to register if they haven’t already. It also allows registered voters to update their information or transfer their voting location if needed.

INEC expects this exercise to significantly boost the number of registered voters in Anambra, currently pegged at 2,656,437.

INEC Chairman, Prof. Mahmood Yakubu, recently disclosed that the commission is in the final stages of preparing for the CVR ahead of the Anambra governorship poll set for November 8, 2025.

“We are fully aware of the urgency surrounding the start of the CVR, especially with the Anambra election fast approaching,” Yakubu said, assuring that full details of the exercise would be made public soon.

With tens of thousands of unclaimed PVCs and the anticipated turnout for fresh registration, the total number of voters in the state could rise significantly before election day.

Meanwhile, INEC has published the final list of candidates for the governorship race and formally declared the campaign season open. According to National Commissioner and Chairman of the Information and Voter Education Committee, Sam Olumekun, the announcement followed the successful verification and substitution of candidate details submitted by political parties.

Sixteen political parties met the May 12, 2025, deadline for submissions and will be participating in the November 8 election.