By joshua 
INEC Kicks Off Final Phase of Voter Registration in Kogi, Targets 10 July Deadline
The Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, has commenced Phase 3 of the Continuous Voter Registration, CVR, exercise in Kogi State, with a call on eligible residents to take advantage of the window to register before the 10 July 2026 deadline.
The Resident Electoral Commissioner, REC, for Kogi State, Alh. Shehu L. Wahab, Ph.D, announced the commencement on Monday at a press briefing held at the INEC State Headquarters in Lokoja.
The briefing marked his first official engagement with the media since resuming duty in Kogi on 16 April 2026, following his redeployment from Nasarawa State.
Wahab said Phase 3 is the final stage of the exercise, which began with online registration on 18 August 2025 and physical registration on 25 August 2025. The current phase will run from 11 May to 10 July 2026.
He explained that the exercise covers new registrants who have turned 18 since the last phase, voter transfers, correction of personal data, and replacement of lost, damaged, or defaced Permanent Voter Cards, PVCs.
Reviewing previous phases, the REC said Kogi recorded 114,530 registration activities in Phase I between August and November 2025, while Phase II between January and April 2026 saw a rise to 164,193. Female registrants outnumbered males in both phases, with 93,232 females against 70,961 males recorded in Phase II. Yagba East and Okehi LGAs showed the highest growth, with Yagba East alone recording 15,470 activities.
Wahab acknowledged challenges encountered in earlier phases, including poor network coverage, last-minute surges, and difficult terrain in some LGAs.
To address these, INEC will deploy a rotational registration strategy using mobile teams across wards, while maintaining its state office as a permanent center. Officers have been directed to submit movement schedules for IVED machines to ensure monitoring and transparency.
He assured that INEC is working with the Inter-Agency Consultative Committee on Election Security, ICCES, to provide a safe environment at all centers.