INEC's Benue office has registered 184,064 new voters in the ongoing Continuous Voter Registration exercise. The figure spans two phases of the enrollment drive across the state.
Aminu Idris, the Resident Electoral Commissioner, released the breakdown during a media briefing on Thursday. Phase one saw 55,866 registrations, while phase two attracted 128,198.
Young people dominate the registration numbers, he noted. Those aged 18 to 34 years form the largest chunk of new registrants.
Idris emphasized that the figure covers only fresh registrations. Transfer applications, card replacements, and record updates account for thousands more cases.
He warned citizens already on the voter register to stay away from registration centers. Duplicate registrations could trigger name removal or harsher penalties.
This exercise opens doors for eligible citizens who haven't registered yet, Idris explained. It also allows voters to transfer locations, replace damaged cards, or update their information.
"All eligible residents should use this window before the deadline closes," the commissioner urged. He made the appeal to encourage maximum participation statewide.
Beyond voter registration, INEC is restoring suppressed state constituencies in five local government areas. Buruku, Gboko, Konshisha, Makurdi, and Ukum are affected by this technical restoration process.
Four of the five local governments have completed the process successfully. Buruku, Konshisha, Makurdi, and Ukum finished without complications.
Gboko encountered setbacks in two registration areas. Gboko North and Mbatyu wards proved problematic, according to Idris.
Work stalled in those two wards, making completion difficult. Officials are yet to resolve the challenges there.
Idris tied the restoration effort to court orders and democratic principles. He said the move would strengthen representation in affected communities.
