By Mohammed Dala Lawan
The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) in Yobe State has announced plans to deploy voter registration units directly to wards across the state in a renewed effort to boost electoral participation.
The State Resident Electoral Commissioner, Alhaji Ibrahim Abdullahi, stated this while briefing Journalists in Damaturu, following a low turnout recorded during the first phase of the Continuous Voter Registration (CVR) exercise.
According to him, the initial phase of the exercise, which ended on December 21, 2025, recorded a total of 55,070 new registrants across the state.
Abdullahi explained that the ward-level registration was designed to address challenges such as seasonal farming activities, insecurity, and difficult terrain, which limited access to registration centres during the earlier phase.
“To ensure inclusivity and access for all eligible citizens, the Commission has approved the devolution of the registration exercise to the Registration Area ward level,” he said.
He stated that the 50-day intensive exercise would commence on February 2, 2026, using INEC Voter Enrollment Devices (IVEDs), adding that the final week of the registration would be conducted at Local Government Area offices.
The Resident Electoral Commissioner called on traditional rulers, civil society organisations, and the media to intensify mobilisation and sensitisation efforts in their respective communities.
He urged eligible voters to take advantage of the expanded access to register, noting that it would guarantee their participation in the 2027 general elections and future polls.
Abdullahi also expressed concern over the low collection of Permanent Voter Cards (PVCs), revealing that only 1,100 out of 42,756 PVCs from previous registration exercises had been collected since August 2025.
He further appealed to affected voters to promptly visit their respective INEC offices at the local government level to collect their PVCs.
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