Edo 2024: INEC to begin distribution of 184,438 PVCs in 192 wards Thursday

Edo 2024: INEC to begin distribution of 184,438 PVCs in 192 wards Thursday

JOEL OLADELE, Abuja 

The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has announced that it will begin distributing 184,438 Permanent Voters’ Cards (PVCs) in 192 wards in Edo State from Thursday.

The Chairman of INEC, Professor Mahmood Yakubu, announced this at a meeting with the Resident Electoral Commission (RECs), held in Abuja on Monday. 

According to Prof. Yakubu, the PVCs were printed and delivered to the commission’s office in Benin City, adding that the cards will be available for collection from Thursday to Monday, daily from 9:00am to 5:00pm, including weekends.

He also noted that the commission has developed a register containing the names and photographs of the 184,438 voters to ease the collection of their PVCs. The register has been uploaded to the INEC website to facilitate easy identification and collection of the cards.

Yakubu emphasized that the commission’s policy that PVCs must be personally collected by registered voters has not changed.

“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 the 192 Wards in the State where the last CVR took place from Thursday 22nd August 2024 to Monday 26th August 2024 from 9.00am to 5.00pm daily including the weekend. 

“Thereafter, the collection will continue in our 18 Local Government 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.

“Furthermore, the Commission has developed a register containing, among other information, the names and photographs of the 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.

“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,” Yakubu said.

The commission has also assured that it is working on the schedule for the collection of PVCs in Ondo State, which is scheduled to hold its governorship election in November this year.

The INEC chairman also reminded media organizations seeking to cover the Edo State Governorship election that the accreditation portal closes at 6:00pm on September 5th. Already, 63 organizations have uploaded the details of 584 personnel for accreditation for the election.

The meeting with Resident Electoral Commissioners (RECs) is coming on the heels of the third quarterly consultative meetings with stakeholders and is focused on preparations for the Edo and Ondo State governorship elections and pending bye-elections.

Consequently, Yakubu urged voters who took their time to register during the Continuous Voters Registration (CVR) to also take time to collect their PVCs in person and come out on Election Day and vote for the party of their choice.