The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has announced the start of Permanent Voter Cards (PVC) collection for newly registered voters in preparation for the September 21 governorship election in Edo State. The collection is set to commence on August 22, 2024.
During a meeting with the Resident Electoral Commissioners in Abuja on Monday, INEC Chairman, Prof Mahmood Yakubu, disclosed that a total of 184,438 voters were registered in the recent Continuous Voters Registration exercise in Edo State.
The registrations included 119,206 new enrollments, 8,847 inter-state transfers, and 46,171 intra-state transfers. Additionally, 4,808 voters requested details corrections, while 5,406 applied for replacements of lost or damaged PVCs. Newly printed PVCs have been delivered to the INEC office in Benin City for distribution.
According to Yakubu, from August 22 to August 26, registered voters can pick up their PVCs at any of the 192 wards in Edo State from 9:00 am to 5:00 pm daily, including weekends. Subsequently, from August 28 to September 8, the collection will shift to INEC Local Government offices across the state.
Yakubu emphasized the importance of voters personally collecting their PVCs to prevent electoral malpractice. INEC has developed a register containing the details of all 184,438 voters to facilitate the collection process.
Yakubu reiterated that PVCs must be collected in person, reiterating INEC’s policy to prevent proxy collections. He urged registered voters to collect their PVCs and participate in the upcoming election.
Similar arrangements are being finalized for Ondo State, where the governorship election is scheduled for November, ensuring that PVC collection processes are streamlined to facilitate the electoral exercise.