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In preparation for the Edo State Governorship election scheduled for 21st September 2024, the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has announced that new registrants in Edo State can collect their Permanent Voter Cards (PVCs) from 22nd August, 2024. The collection process will take place across all the One Hundred and Ninety-Two (192) wards in the State.
The Commission also stressed that registered voters must collect their PVCs in person as any attempt to collect cards by proxy will not be allowed.
The Hon. Chairman INEC, Prof. Mahmood Yakubu announced this on Monday, 19th August 2024 during the Commission’s Quarterly Consultative Meeting with Resident Electoral Commissioners (RECs), at the INEC Headquarters in Abuja.
Other categories of citizens expected to collect their PVCs between 22nd August and 8th September, 2024 include those who applied for a transfer to Edo State, individuals who applied for a replacement, residents who updated their bio-data, and those who have not picked up their voter cards from previous registration exercises.
According to Prof. Yakubu, “Following the conclusion of the last Continuous Voters Registration (CVR) Exercise in Edo and Ondo States, the Commission published the figures of new registrants for the two States following the clean-up of the register. For Edo State, One Hundred and Nineteen Thousand Two Hundred and Six (119,206) new voters were registered. In addition, Eight Thousand Eight Hundred and Forty Seven (8,847) voters transferred their registration from other States of the Federation to Edo State while Forty Six Thousand One Hundred and Seventy One (46,171) voters transferred their registration within the State i.e. from one part of the state to another.”
He averred that “As provided by law, the Commission has updated the records of Four Thousand Eight Hundred and Eight (4,808) voters that applied for correction of names, addresses or dates of birth from previous registrations and also replaced Five Thousand Four Hundred and Six (5,406) lost or damaged PVCs. Put together, One Hundred and Eighty Four Thousand Four Hundred and Thirty Eight (184,438) voters of various categories were served by the Commission during the last CVR in Edo State. They will be issued new voters’ cards (PVCs).”
While announcing the commencement of PVC collection in Edo State, the INEC Chairman stated, “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 (EOs) for collection by voters. To ensure a seamless process, the cards will be available for collection in all 192 Wards in the state where the last CVR took place from Thursday, 22nd August 2024 to Monday, 26th August 2024 from 9.00 am to 5.00 pm daily including the weekend.”
“Thereafter, the collection will continue in our 18 Local Government Area Offices across the State from Wednesday, 28th August 2024 to Sunday, 8th September 2024 from 9.00am to 5.00pm, 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.”
To ensure the smooth collection of PVCs, Prof. Yakubu revealed that, “the Commission has developed a register containing, among other information; the names and photographs of the One Hundred and Eighty Four Thousand Four Hundred and Thirty Eight (184,438) voters to ease the collection of their PVCs. The register has also been uploaded to our website (https://inecnigeria.org/?page_id=13804) to facilitate easy identification and collection of the cards.”
Emphasizing the Commission’s policy against PVC collection by proxy, the INEC Chairman stated “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” he added.
On the register of voters to be used for the Edo State Governorship election, Prof. Yakubu declared that a “soft copy of the final and comprehensive register of voters will be presented to each political party fielding candidates in the election on Tuesday, 20th August 2024 in our State office in Benin City. This is in fulfillment of item 10 of the Timetable and Schedule of Activities for the election.´
BE PROFESSIONAL IN SECURING EDO STATE FOR PEACEFUL ELECTIONS:- INEC URGES SECURITY PERSONNEL
The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has called on security personnel to apply professionalism in securing the electoral space to ensure a peaceful election in Edo State on Saturday, 21st September 2024.
The National Commissioner and Chairman Board of the Electoral Institute (TEI), Prof. Abdullahi Abdu Zuru gave the charge on Monday, 19th August 2024 during the opening of A Three-Day Training Workshop for Election Security Personnel (ESP) in Benin, the Edo State capital.
The training is designed to update participants on the latest initiatives and innovations introduced by the Commission, ensuring they are well-versed in their roles and responsibilities as well as the ethical and legal guidelines that govern their conduct during and after the election.
The participants are drawn from the Edo State Commands of the Inter-Agency Consultative Committee on Election Security (ICCES), comprising the Nigerian Police, Nigerian Army, Nigerian Navy, Nigeria Airforce, Directorate of State Security (DSS), Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps, Nigeria Immigration Service, Nigeria Customs Service, Nigeria Correctional Service, Nigeria Drug Law Enforcement Agency, Nigeria Fire Service and Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC).
Prof. Zuru expressed gratitude to the security agencies for their continued support of the Commission in safeguarding the electoral environment for peaceful elections and for their support in organizing the training workshop. He acknowledged the crucial role they play in ensuring peaceful elections and urged them to apply the same level of professionalism to achieve a more peaceful, inclusive and credible election in Edo State.
The Resident Electoral Commissioner (REC) Edo State, Dr. Anugbum Onuoha expressed confidence that the Security Agencies will create a secure environment where all political parties can campaign freely, voters can exercise their rights peacefully and staff of the Commission can conduct the elections without intimidation, both in the lead-up to and during the Governorship election.
The Director General (DG) of the Electoral Institute, Dr. Sa’ad Umar Idris emphasized the critical role of security in elections. He underscored that security is a vital component of the electoral process and pointed out that ensuring a secure electoral environment is not solely the Commission’s responsibility.
He therefore called on Nigerian security agencies to commit wholeheartedly to ensuring the Edo Governorship election is free, fair, credible, inclusive and peaceful.
The newly appointed Commissioner of Police for Edo State, Nemi Edwin-Iwo emphasized the significance of the training for the upcoming Governorship election. He encouraged participants to leverage the knowledge gained to enhance both their personal and professional conducts.
Following the conclusion of the three-day training, the Commission in collaboration with the ICCES members in Edo State will advance to the second phase of training. This phase will take place across the three Senatorial Districts of Edo State and scheduled to hold between 23rd and 25th August 2024.
