The Independent National Electoral Commission said ahead of the Edo State governorship elections, that newly registered voters would start collection of the Permanent Voter Cards on August 22, 2024.
This was disclosed on Monday in Abuja at a meeting with the Resident Electoral Commissioners by INEC Chairman, Prof. Mahmood Yakubu.
The date of the Edo gubernatorial election is set for September 21, 2024.
During Edo State’s recently concluded Continuous Voters Registration, 184,438 voters were registered.
46,171 intra-state transfers, 8,847 inter-state transfers, and 119,206 new registrations were included in the total.
Furthermore, 5,406 voters applied for replacements of missing or damaged PVCs, while 4,808 voters asked for corrections to be made to their personal information.
Yakubu affirmed that all of the newly produced PVCs are now ready for collection after being delivered to INEC’s Benin City office.
He declared that registered voters could pick up their cards at any of the 192 Edo State Wards from August 22 to August 26, including weekends, from 9:00 am to 5:00 pm.
Voters can collect their PVCs at INEC Local Government offices across the state from August 28 to September 8, 2024, following this time frame.
“I am glad to report that all the cards have been printed and delivered to our office in Benin City. From there, they have been handed over to our Electoral Officers for collection by voters.
“To ensure a seamless process, the cards will be available for collection in all the 192 Wards in the State where the last CVR took place from Thursday, August 22, 2024, to Monday, August 26, 2024, from 9.00 am to 5.00 pm daily, including the weekend.
“Thereafter, the collection will continue in our 18 Local Government offices across the State from Wednesday, August 28, 2024, to Sunday, September 8, 2024, from 9.00 am to 5.00 pm, including the weekends.
“Detailed information on the dates and location of the 210 centres (192 Wards and 18 LGA offices) has been uploaded to our website and social media platforms for public information,” he explained.
The chairman of INEC stated that in order to expedite the process of gathering data, the commission had established a register including the names and photographs of all 184,438 voters.
However, he stressed that PVCs must be collected in person, which is in line with INEC’s strict policy to prevent electoral malpractice.
“It is important to emphasise that the Commission’s policy that PVCs must be personally collected by registered voters has not changed.
“The cards will not be distributed or collected by proxy so that they do not end up in the wrong hands.
“We urge voters who took their time to register during the CVR to also take time to collect their PVCs in person and, most importantly, to come out on Election Day and vote for the party of their choice,” Yakubu warned.
He urged voters who had taken the time to register to do the same for their PVCs and, above all, to cast votes in order to be involved in the election.
Similar plans were reportedly being prepared for Ondo State, where a governorship election will take place in November, according to Yakubu.
The INEC chairman noted, “The Commission is working on the schedule for the collection of PVCs in Ondo State. Our attention is focused on the Edo State at the moment because the election is held next month.
“I want to assure the electorate in Ondo State that action is being taken in respect of the availability of their PVCs for the governorship election held in November this year.
“Very soon, the commission will make available detailed arrangements for the collection of PVCs for all categories of voters from the recent CVR in the state.”
