In preparation for the upcoming Anambra off-cycle gubernatorial election scheduled for November 8, 2025, the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has announced an extension of the collection period for Permanent Voter Cards (PVCs) until November 2, 2025.

The commission announced in a statement released by Victoria Eta-Messi, Director of INEC’s Voter Education and Publicity, following its meeting on Monday, that the exercise previously scheduled to conclude on Sunday, 26th October 2025, has been extended and will now run from Wednesday, 29th October to Sunday, 2nd November 2025.

The commission announced that its decision to grant an extension was prompted by requests from members of the public and various stakeholders who sought additional time for eligible voters to collect their cards and exercise their voting rights.

The statement notes that registered voters who have not collected their PVCs can use the extended period to collect them at the designated centres in the 326 registration areas (wards) in Anambra.

The statement clarified that the exercise included those who registered during the recent Continuous Voter Registration, which concluded on July 20, 2025.

The commission assured citizens it is ready to hold a free and fair state election.

“PRESS STATEMENT

EXTENSION OF PERMANENT VOTER CARD (PVC) COLLECTION IN ANAMBRA STATE

The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has approved the extension of the ongoing collection of Permanent Voter Cards (PVCs) in Anambra State.

The decision was reached at a meeting of the Commission held on Monday, 27th October 2025, following several appeals from citizens and stakeholders requesting additional time to enable eligible voters to collect their cards.

The exercise, which was earlier scheduled to end on Sunday, 26th October 2025, has now been extended from Wednesday, 29th October to Sunday, 2nd November 2025. It covers persons who registered during the recent Continuous Voter Registration (CVR) exercise in the state.

Registered voters who are yet to collect their PVCs are encouraged to take advantage of this extended window to do so at the designated collection centres across the 326 Registration Areas (Wards) in Anambra State.

The Commission reiterates that PVC collection is strictly in person, as no collection by proxy is permitted.

INEC appreciates the patience, enthusiasm, and cooperation of the good people of Anambra State and urges all eligible voters to use this opportunity to collect their PVCs and get ready to participate in the forthcoming Governorship Election”, the statement concluded.

Borno Tops INEC Continuous Voter Registration Process

The electoral commission began continuous voter registration on August 18, 2025, through the official INEC portal, with in-person registration beginning on August 25, 2025, at INEC’s state and local government area (LGA) offices nationwide, with the process expected to last until August 30, 2026, ahead of the 2027 general elections.

As of October 13th to 19th, 2025, the commission released an update on the exercise, in which it recorded a total of 8,003,196 pre-registrants, with females having the highest number at 4,190,890 (52.37%), followed by males at 3,812,306 (47.63%). The commission further divided its data into three categories: youths (18-34) (5,533,514), students (2,018,967), and people with disabilities (182,718).

According to the electoral commission’s breakdown of the registration process by state, Borno State had the most online pre-registrations (826,130), accounting for 10.32% of all pre-registrations nationwide. Following it were Lagos State with 604,819 (7.56%), Kebbi State with 581,135 (7.26%), and Osun State with 646,580 (8.08%). Other states with comparatively high numbers are Kano (421,941; 5.27%), Ogun (510,062; 6.37%), and Kaduna (510,490; 6.38%).

In the mid-range category, Kogi had 361,233 (4.51%), Zamfara registered 304,065 (3.80%), Yobe had 292,714 (3.66%), and Jigawa followed with 284,384 (3.55%). Moderate participation was also observed in Katsina (205,933; 2.57%), Sokoto (209,392; 2.61%), Oyo (224,713; 2.81%), and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) (228,264; 2.85%).

At the lower end of the scale, Nasarawa recorded 183,519 (2.29%), Bauchi had 181,671 (2.27%), Ondo recorded 171,618 (2.21%), and Delta had 160,188 (2.00%). States such as Kwara (142,084; 1.78%), Cross River (119,773; 1.50%), Edo (115,570; 1.44%), Ekiti (114,244; 1.43%), Abia (111,221; 1.39%), and Imo (109,245; 1.37%) also maintained moderate registration levels.

Lower figures were observed in Niger (107,153; 1.34%), Gombe (103,150; 1.29%), Rivers (82,840; 1.04%), Adamawa (80,556; 1.01%), Taraba (65,684; 0.82%), Akwa Ibom (60,638; 0.76%), Bayelsa (52,957; 0.66%), and Benue (53,747; 0.67%). The lowest registration figures came from Enugu with 25,541 (0.32%) and Ebonyi with only 13,979 (0.17%).

However, in accordance with Section 9(6) of the Electoral Act 2022, pre-registration activities in Anambra State have been suspended due to the upcoming governorship election on November 8, 2025.

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