Edo Election: 184,438 PVCs Ready for Collection from August 22

By Iyojo Ameh

The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has announced that 184,438 Permanent Voter Cards (PVCs) are ready for collection in preparation for the Edo State governorship election scheduled for September 21, 2024.

The collection period will begin on August 22 and run through September 28, 2024.

INEC Chairman, Professor Mahmood Yakubu, revealed during a meeting with Resident Electoral Commissioners (RECs) from the 36 states and the Federal Capital Territory in Abuja on Monday that all PVCs have been printed and delivered to INEC’s office in Benin City.

Yakubu outlined that the PVCs will be available at all 192 wards in Edo State from August 22 to August 26, 2024.

Distribution will occur daily from 9:00 AM to 5:00 PM, including weekends. Following this initial period, collection will continue at the 18 Local Government offices across Edo State from August 28 to September 8, 2024, also from 9:00 AM to 5:00 PM.

The INEC Chairman emphasized that cards must be collected in person, with no proxy collections allowed, to prevent misuse. Yakubu highlighted that a register of the 184,438 voters, including names and photographs, has been uploaded to INEC’s website to facilitate the collection process.

Yakubu encouraged registered voters to collect their PVCs in person and to participate in the election. He also announced that the final voter register will be provided to each political party fielding candidates in the upcoming election on August 20, 2024, at the INEC State office in Benin City.

Regarding the Ondo State election, Yakubu assured that the commission is finalizing the schedule for PVC collection ahead of the governorship election in November 2024. Detailed arrangements for Ondo State will be announced soon.