The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has confirmed that 119,206 new voters have registered for the upcoming Edo governorship election scheduled for September.
INEC Chairman, Professor Yakubu Mahmood, made this announcement on Monday during a meeting with Resident Electoral Commissioners (RECs) at the commission’s headquarters in Abuja.
Professor Mahmood urged all newly registered voters to collect their Permanent Voter Cards (PVCs) in person from designated locations, emphasizing that collection by proxy will not be permitted.
He stated that while some of the new PVCs are for first-time voters, others are for individuals who either lost their cards or needed to update their information. Specifically, 8,847 voters transferred their registration from other states to Edo, while 46,171 voters transferred their registration within the state. Additionally, 4,808 voters requested corrections to their details, and 5,406 applied for replacement PVCs due to damage or loss.
“For Edo State, 119,206 new voters were registered. In addition, 8,847 voters transferred their registration from other States of the Federation to Edo State, while 46,171 voters transferred their registration within the State, i.e., from one part of the State to another. As provided by law, the Commission has updated the records of 4,808 voters who applied for correction of names, addresses, or dates of birth from previous registrations and also replaced 5,406 lost or damaged PVCs,” said Mahmood.
He further noted that all the new PVCs have been printed and delivered to INEC’s office in Benin City, with distribution to voters taking place at 192 wards across the state from August 22 to August 26, 2024, and subsequently at the 18 Local Government offices from August 28 to September 8, 2024.
The INEC Chairman also informed that the final voter register for the Edo governorship election would be provided to all political parties fielding candidates. Moreover, Mahmood urged media organizations and other bodies interested in monitoring the election to complete their accreditation process before the September 5 deadline.
“As part of our preparations for the Edo State Governorship election, the soft copy of the final and comprehensive register of voters will be presented to each political party fielding candidates in the election tomorrow, 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,” Mahmood said.
He added, “As of this morning, 63 organizations have uploaded the details of 584 personnel for accreditation for the election. We urge all interested organizations that are yet to apply to note the deadline and act accordingly.”
