The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has registered a total of 36,638 new voters in Gombe State during Phase I of the Continuous Voter Registration (CVR) exercise, with women accounting for the majority of registrants for the first time in the state’s history.
The Resident Electoral Commissioner (REC) in the state, Dr Saad Idris, disclosed this on Thursday at a stakeholders’ meeting on Phase II of the CVR held at the Gombe International Hotel.
Idris said 35,451 registrations were recorded within Gombe State, comprising 14,976 males, representing 42 per cent, and 20,475 females, accounting for 58 per cent. He added that INEC’s national records showed a cumulative total of 36,638 registrants, including those who enrolled outside the state.
“I have been informed that this is the first time female registration has surpassed male registration in the history of Gombe State, and this is commendable,” he said.
According to the REC, the exercise also recorded 7,613 voter transfers, 9,031 corrections or updates of voter details, and 1,383 collections of Permanent Voter Cards (PVCs) across the state.
Despite the improvement, Idris expressed concern that Gombe’s voter registration figures remained low compared to other northern states, including Kano, Sokoto, Borno, Zamfara and Yobe.
To improve participation, he announced that INEC had approved the devolution of voter registration to Registration Areas through a 50-day rotational deployment of INEC Voter Enrolment Devices (IVEDs), beginning Monday, Feb. 2, 2026.
He explained that each of the state’s 114 Registration Areas would be assigned two INEC officials and one IVED for five days, based on schedules prepared by Electoral Officers and approved by the commission.
Idris warned that registration would be conducted strictly at designated centres and cautioned against multiple registrations, describing the act as illegal and counterproductive.
He urged residents who had already registered to avoid re-registering and instead apply for PVC replacement, correction of details or transfer where necessary.
The REC called on political parties, civil society organisations, traditional and religious leaders, the media and security agencies to support the exercise, stressing that voter registration was a shared responsibility.
He reaffirmed INEC’s commitment to credible and inclusive elections, describing the CVR as a cornerstone of democratic participation.
