Despite radio jingles and other forms of voter education in the ongoing national voters’ registration exercise, stakeholders say new registrations in Rivers State have remained unimpressive.
This was as the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) said it has registered about 67,307 new voters between August and November 2025 in a continued exercise in Rivers State.
Stakeholders in the state, including Gabriel Yomere, professor and Resident Electoral Commissioner, Rivers State, and Abednego Benjamin, Chairman of the state chapter of Booth Party, say this number is unimpressive given the overall population of the state.
Yomere and Benjamin argued that given the population of the state, Rivers should be targeting a total voter strength of as much as five million.
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The state as at the last general election posted a voting strength of 3.5 million. The new registrations have likely pushed the expected overall figure to above four million, bearing deaths, relocations and disqualifications.
Benjamin said the figures so far recorded by INEC is poor, adding that Rivers State has capacity to record higher figures in the ongoing exercise.
He said, “The figure shows modest progress. But the numbers are underwhelming for a state with Rivers population and political weight. I think we deserve more and Rivers people must rise to the occasion to redeem our political power at this point. 67 307 new registration over three months, for me, is not satisfactory.”
Yomere, Resident Electoral Commissioner, Rivers State, during a stakeholders’ meeting in Port Harcourt, said INEC registered about 67,307 new voters between August and November 2025 in the ongoing voters’ registration exercise.
He said Rivers State has the capacity to improve its voter strength, considering the current population of the state.
Yomere said, “Since the 8th of August 2025 till last Friday, we have registered 67,367 persons.
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“At the initial stage, the process was a bit very slow. But we can say now it has been moving smoothly and we have come to this speed.
“But, let me say here very clearly, this figure sounds quite enticing. But if you imagine that the voting strength of Rivers State is about 3.8 million.
“And we are of the opinion that actually if we work together as we have always been doing and put in more effort, the voting strength of Rivers State can be increased,” he said.
The Resident Electoral Commissioner advised Rivers people to effectively participate in the ongoing voters’ registration exercise, urging them to avoid double registration and other electoral malpractices.
