The Independence National Electoral Commission, INEC, has said a total of 2,128,288 millions Permanent Voters Cards have been collected by registered voters in the state since February 2023.
DAILY POST reports that Professor Rhoda H. Gumsus, the commission’s National Commissioner in charge of Edo State, disclosed this on Thursday at the stakeholders’ engagement meeting on the continuous voters registration exercise in preparation for the September 21 governorship election in Edo State in Benin City.
Gumsus, represented by the state Resident Electoral Commissioner, Anugbum Onuoha, said the collected PVCs were out of the total number of 2,501,08 million registered voters in the state.
She also disclosed that a total of 373,030 PVCs were uncollected.
She added that the commission had on June 28, 2021, commenced the continuous voter registration exercise but was, however, suspended on July 31, 2022, to prepare for the 2023 general election.
The INEC commissioner said the suspension of the exercise was in line with Section 9(6) of the 2022 Electoral Act, which permits the commission to stop registration of voters, updating and revision of the register of voters not later than 90 days before any election.
While noting that it was now close to two years since the CVR exercise was suspended, she, opined that many young persons must have attained the age of 18 years after the exercise was suspended.
“In preparing for 2024, Edo State governorship election, it is imperative to update the register of voters, to allow persons who turned 18 since the exercise was suspended in 2022. as well as those who have not registered before or wish to transfer their registration to their new location to participate in the forthcoming election.
“The CVR exercise is proposed for 10 days to commence on the May 27 and end on June 5, 2024. This will give prospective registrants, enough time to register before the governorship election.
“Similarly, those who are registered voters also have the opportunity to transfer their registration from
other states of the federation to Edo or one location to another within the state,” she said.
She, however, appealed to all stakeholders to join the commission in mobilizing prospective registrants to come out en masse for the exercise
The INEC National Commissioner also encouraged those who have not collected their PVCs in the state to seize the opportunity to do so.