Ahead of the governorship election in Edo State, the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has announced an extension of the collection of Permanent Voter Cards (PVCs) to Sunday, September 15, 2024.
INEC’s National Commissioner, Sam Olumekun, made the announcement in Benin, Edo State’s capital city on Thursday, September 12, 2024.
Mr Olumekun said that the extension would begin on Friday, September 13.
According to Mr Olumekun, stakeholders in the state unanimously appealed to the commission to consider an extension of the period for the collection of PVCs to enable more voters to collect their cards.
“The commission held an interactive meeting with stakeholders in Benin ahead of the governorship election.
“The meeting was well attended by chairmen of political parties, candidates, traditional and religious leaders, security agencies, civil society organisations and the media,” he said.
He also noted that the chairman of the commission, Mahmood Yakubu, and Inspector General of Police, Kayode Egbetokun, had addressed the stakeholders and responded to their electoral and security concerns.
He noted, “In view of that, a three-day extension has been granted from Friday, September 13 to Sunday, September 15, 2024.
“The cards will be available for collection in our 18 local government offices across the state from 9:00 am to 5:00 pm daily”, Mr Olumekun said.
He urged all registered voters who had yet to collect their PVCs to seize the opportunity of the extension to do so.
He also noted that there would be no collection by proxy, in line with the commission’s policy.
