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By Sani Gazas Chinade, Damaturu
The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) in has raised the alarm over a worrying low turnout in the ongoing second phase of the Continuous Voter Registration (CVR) exercise, blaming seasonal farming, insecurity and difficult terrain for the sluggish response.
The Resident Electoral Commissioner, , disclosed this on Tuesday during a press briefing in , revealing that despite extensive preparations, public participation remains far below expectations.
According to him, the first phase of the CVR, which ended on December 21, 2025, recorded a preliminary total of 55,070 new registrants across the state’s 17 local government areas—figures he described as “relatively low” considering Yobe’s voting population.
“In response to these challenges, the Commission has approved a major shift in strategy,” Abdullahi announced, explaining that INEC has decentralised the exercise to the Registration Area (RA) ward level to bring voter registration closer to the people.
Under the new arrangement, voter enrolment devices will rotate across wards for 50 days, beginning February 2, 2026, with the final week of the exercise conducted at local government INEC offices statewide.
The Yobe INEC boss appealed to traditional rulers, civil society organisations and media houses to intensify mobilisation efforts, urging eligible citizens to seize the opportunity to register and secure their right to vote ahead of the 2027 general elections and beyond.
Abdullahi also expressed concern over the poor collection of Permanent Voter Cards (PVCs), revealing that only 1,100 out of 42,756 uncollected PVCs from previous exercises have been retrieved since August 2025.
He called on residents who had already registered but were yet to collect their PVCs to do so without delay, stressing that active participation in the electoral process remains a civic duty essential to democratic governance and national development.
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