By Gabriel Ameh
The Resident Electoral Commissioner (REC) in Gombe State, Dr. Saad Umar Idris, has convened key stakeholders to review the outcome of Phase I of the Continuous Voter Registration (CVR) exercise and unveil operational plans for Phase II, with a strong focus on taking the exercise closer to communities.
At the stakeholders’ meeting held Thursday at the Gombe International Hotel, Dr. Idris revealed that the state recorded 36,638 new voter registrations during the first phase of the exercise. Notably, female registrants outnumbered their male counterparts for the first time in the state’s CVR history.
Despite this progress, the REC observed that Gombe’s overall registration performance still falls behind several northern states. He therefore called for intensified mobilisation efforts from political parties, civil society organisations, religious and traditional leaders, the media, and security agencies to boost participation in the next phase.
Responding to earlier requests from stakeholders, Dr. Idris announced that the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has approved the rotation of the INEC Voter Enrolment Devices (IVEDs) across all 114 Registration Areas (RAs) in the state. The rotation, which will last for 50 days starting from 2 February 2026, is aimed at decentralising the registration process and making it more accessible to residents at the grassroots.
He, however, warned against multiple registrations, describing it as an electoral offence that undermines the integrity of the voter register.
In preparation for Phase II, the REC earlier held strategy sessions with staff of the Gombe State office on Tuesday, 27 January, and subsequently met with Electoral Officers from the 11 Local Government Areas on Wednesday, 28 January, to fine-tune operational modalities for the exercise.
Dr. Idris reassured stakeholders of INEC’s unwavering commitment to conducting a credible, inclusive, and transparent voter registration process across the state.
