From Moshood Karim
The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has officially presented the final voter register for Edo State to political parties ahead of the upcoming gubernatorial election scheduled for September 21, 2024.
The presentation, which took place at the INEC office on Tuesday in Benin City, was led by the Resident Electoral Officer (REC), Dr. Anugbum Onuoha, who handed over soft copies of the comprehensive register to each political party with a candidate in the election.
This action fulfills item 10 of the electoral timetable and schedule of activities set out for the Edo governorship election.
The voter register was also personally presented to the Labour Party’s (LP) gubernatorial candidate, Olumide Akpata, due to an ongoing leadership crisis within the party in the State.
“The register will be presented to the party’s governorship candidate, Mr. Olumide Akpata, as the sole candidate of the party in the election,” Dr. Onuoha stated, noting that the internal conflict had caused divisions within the party. The Labour Party is currently led by two rival factions headed by Kelly Ogbalo and Elizabeth Ativie, respectively.
Dr. Onuoha emphasized that the presentation of the voter register to the political parties is a legal requirement, in line with the relevant sections of the Electoral Act. The act mandates that the voter register be presented to political parties no later than 30 days before the election.
Prior to the presentation, Dr. Onuoha briefed journalists on the ongoing distribution of Permanent Voter Cards (PVCs) and other preparatory activities for the election. He urged all registered voters to ensure they collect their PVCs in person and participate in the upcoming election.
“To ensure a seamless process, the cards will be available for collection in all 192 wards across the State from Thursday, August 22 to Monday, August 26, daily, including weekends,” he stated.
After this period, collection will continue at INEC’s 18 local government offices from August 28 to September 8, between 9:00 a.m. and 5:00 p.m., including weekends.
National INEC Commissioner Rhoda Gamus, who oversees Edo, Delta, and Bayelsa states, revealed that a total of 2,629,025 voters have registered for the Edo governorship election. She urged political parties to mobilize their supporters to collect their PVCs.
Olatunde Olalere, INEC’s Director of Voter Registry, provided a breakdown of the voter demographics, stating that the register includes 1,370,061 male and 1,258,964 female voters.
He also mentioned that 8,847 PVCs were transferred from other states to Edo, while 109 voters transferred theirs from Edo to Ondo State.
Ikpoba Okha and Oredo local governments were identified as having the highest number of registered voters, while Igueben Local Government recorded the lowest.
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