Ahead of the Edo State governorship election on September 21, the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has announced dates for the collection of Permanent Voter Cards (PVCs).
INEC Chairman, Prof. Mahmood Yakubu, made the announcement during a meeting with Resident Electoral Commissioners (RECs) in Abuja on Monday.
Voters who completed their registration can collect their PVCs from Thursday, August 22, to Monday, August 26, 2024, at all 192 wards in Edo State.
The collection will take place daily from 9:00 AM to 5:00 PM, including weekends. After this period, PVC collection will continue at INEC offices in the 18 Local Government Areas from Wednesday, August 28, to Sunday, September 8, 2024, during the same hours.
Yakubu confirmed that all PVCs have been printed and delivered to INEC’s office in Benin City, from where they were distributed to Electoral Officers for collection by voters. Detailed information on collection centers is available on INEC’s website and social media platforms.
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He said: “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.”
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Mahmood also disclosed that 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.
INEC has also uploaded a register containing the names and photographs of 184,438 voters to facilitate easy identification and collection of PVCs. Yakubu emphasized that voters must collect their PVCs in person, as they will not be distributed or collected by proxy.
He urged registered voters to collect their PVCs and participate in the upcoming election.
“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.