The Independent National Electoral Commission has announced that the collection of Permanent Voter Cards by newly registered voters in preparation for the governorship elections in Edo State will begin on August 22, 2024. The Chairman of INEC shared this information during a meeting with the Resident Electoral Commissioners in Abuja. The Edo governorship election is set to take place on September 21, 2024.
During the recent Continuous Voters Registration exercise in Edo State, a total of 184,438 voters were registered, which includes new registrations, inter-state transfers, intra-state transfers, corrections to details, and replacements of lost or damaged PVCs. All newly printed PVCs have been delivered to the INEC office in Benin City and are ready for collection.
Starting from August 22 to August 26, registered voters can collect their cards 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, 2024, voters can collect their PVCs at INEC’s Local Government offices across the state.
INEC emphasized that PVCs must be collected in person to prevent electoral malpractice, and detailed information on collection centers has been shared on their website and social media platforms. The commission has developed a register with the names and photographs of all 184,438 registered voters to facilitate the collection process.
Furthermore, the INEC chairman mentioned that arrangements are being made for the collection of PVCs in Ondo State in preparation for the governorship election scheduled for November. Detailed plans for PVC collection in Ondo State will be made available soon, as the focus is currently on the upcoming election in Edo State.