INEC Produces 184,438 PVCs Ahead of Edo and Ondo Governorship Elections, Sets Collection Dates

The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has announced the successful production of 184,438 Permanent Voters’ Cards (PVCs) for new registrants and other eligible categories, in preparation for the upcoming off-cycle governorship elections.

INEC Chairman, Mahmood Yakubu, made this disclosure during a press conference held in Abuja on Monday.

The electoral commission has scheduled the Edo State governorship election for September 21, 2024, followed by the Ondo State governorship election on November 16, 2024.

Speaking at a gathering of Resident Electoral Commissioners (RECs) in Abuja, Yakubu emphasized that the two governorship elections, along with seven pending bye-elections, were the main focus of the meeting.

Yakubu stated, “Today’s meeting is crucial as it comes ahead of the off-cycle governorship elections in Edo and Ondo states. Additionally, there are bye-elections to fill seven vacancies in the National and State Assemblies across six states.”

He further explained that following the conclusion of the last Continuous Voters Registration (CVR) in Edo and Ondo states, INEC published the figures of new registrants after cleaning up the voter register.

“For Edo State, 119,206 new voters were registered. Additionally, 8,847 voters transferred their registration from other states to Edo State, and 46,171 voters transferred within the state. The commission has also updated records for 4,808 voters who requested corrections to their names, addresses, or dates of birth, and replaced 5,406 lost or damaged PVCs,” Yakubu detailed.

Altogether, 184,438 voters across various categories were served by the commission during the last CVR in Edo State. Yakubu confirmed that all PVCs had been printed and dispatched to the INEC office in Benin City for distribution to the electorate.

To facilitate a smooth collection process, Yakubu announced that the PVCs would be available for collection in all 192 wards within the state from Thursday, August 22, 2024, to Monday, August 26, 2024, between 9:00 AM and 5:00 PM daily, including weekends. The collection process will also extend to 18 local government offices throughout the state from Wednesday, August 28, 2024, to Sunday, September 8, 2024.

Yakubu reiterated that the commission’s policy requiring voters to collect their PVCs in person remains unchanged, emphasizing that the cards will not be distributed by proxy.

“We urge voters who registered during the CVR to take the 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 stated.

In preparation for the Edo State governorship election, Yakubu revealed that a soft copy of the final and comprehensive voter register would be distributed to each political party on Tuesday, August 20, 2024.

Regarding the Ondo State governorship election, Yakubu mentioned that INEC is currently working on a collection schedule for the PVCs in the state, with detailed arrangements to be announced soon.

Yakubu assured the citizens of Ondo State that all necessary measures are being implemented to ensure the availability of their PVCs for the upcoming election in November 2024.