The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) says fresh registrants in the ongoing nationwide Continuous Voter Registration (CVR) have hit 8,855,996 as at May 2.
The commission, in its weekly update released for Quarter Four, week three in Abuja on Thursday, also said that 5,415,619 completed their registration.
It noted that 2,379,063 did online registration, while 3,036,556 did physical registration.
Read Also: 2023 Polls: Senate Urges INEC To Allow Prison Inmates To Vote
According to the update, those who completed their registration included 45,412 Persons With Disabilities and 3,745,129 youths.
The report also disclosed that at the time of the update, INEC had received 15,789,718 applications for voter transfer, requests for replacement of Permanent Voter Cards and change of voter information record.
It gave the gender distribution of the applicants as 8,330,813 from men, and 7,458,905 women.
Similarly, INEC had advised political parties to adhere to the timeline for the conduct of their primaries for the 2023 general elections, stating that the deadline for primaries is firm and fixed.
The commission gave the advice in a statement by its National Commissioner and Chairman, Information and Voter Education Committee, Mr Festus Okoye, in Abuja on Thursday.
Okoye recalled that the Commission, on Feb. 26, released the timetable and schedule of activities for the 2023 General Elections which provided for parties to conduct their primaries for the nomination of candidates from April 4 to June 3.
He said that in compliance with section 82(1) of the Electoral Act 2022, all 18 political parties had served the required notices indicating the dates for their conventions, congresses and primaries.
The programs are for the purpose of nominating candidates for various elective offices as specified in the constitution and the Electoral Act.
Okoye added that some of the parties had already commenced the process while the commission deployed staff to monitor the exercise as required by law.
“Given the importance of the exercise to the emergence of candidates for the various elective positions for the 2023 General Elections, it is imperative to remind political parties that they have one month from today to conclude their primaries.
“The deadline remains Friday, June 3.”
While urging the parties to ensure rancour-free and transparent exercise, the Commission reiterated that the deadline remained firm and fixed, he said.
Okoye said nominations for Presidential and National Assembly elections shall be submitted through the INEC web portal from June 10 to June 17.
Governorship and State Houses of Assembly nominations shall be submitted between July 1 and 15.
“Political parties are further reminded that they must submit to the commission the list of candidates who must have emerged from valid primaries.
“The commission will continue to work with political parties to ensure fidelity to the constitution, the Electoral Act, and the timelines for all the activities contained in the Timetable and Schedule of Activities for the 2023 General Election,” Okoye said.