Edo Governorship Election 2024: Shehu Sani Reacts as INEC Says 379,000 PVCs Uncollected, "Imagine"

• Senator Shehu Sani has lamented the poor pace of collection of outstanding permanent voter cards (PVCs) by the electorate in Edo state
• Sani pointed out that over 370,000 PVCs were lying idle in the offices of the commission across the 18 local government areas
• Legit.ng gathered that a total of 2,249,780 registered voters had collected their PVCs in the state

Legit.ng journalist, Ridwan Adeola Yusuf, has over 9 years of experience covering politics and elections in Nigeria.

Benin City, Edo state - A former lawmaker who represented Kaduna Central in the national assembly, Senator Shehu Sani, on Wednesday, September 18, rued the decision of some registered voters in Edo state not to collect their permanent voter cards (PVCs).

Legit.ng recalls that the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) disclosed on Tuesday, September 17, that 379,245 PVCs have not been collected in Edo state.

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Sam Olumekun, INEC’s national commissioner, stated that of the 2,629,025 registered voters in Edo, 2,249,780 — representing 85.57 percent — have collected their PVCs, while 14.43 percent (379,245) are yet to be collected.

This announcement comes a few days before the Edo state governorship election scheduled for Saturday, September 21, 2024.

Reacting to the update from INEC, Sani wrote on his verified X (formerly known as Twitter) handle:

"Imagine, about 380k people refused to collect their PVCs from the INEC office in Edo. A number capable of determining the winner and capable of determining the fate and the future of the state."

Legit.ng reports that years after it was launched, the PVC, which was introduced to guarantee eligible voters the right to vote in elections, remains the most important tool for voting in any election in Nigeria. However, despite the PVC’s prominent role in the electoral process, regarding citizens’ constant yearnings for good governance, hundreds of electorate, who have registered with the electoral umpire have yet to collect their cards, days, months and even years after the cards have been printed.

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The 2024 governorship election in Edo will take place across 4,519 polling units in the state. Asue Ighodalo, (Peoples Democratic Party, PDP), Monday Okpebholo (All Progressives Congress, APC), and Olumide Akpata (Labour Party), are considered the top candidates. In the election, only qualified electorate with their PVC can vote.

Edo election: Prophet Boma predicts winner

Earlier, Legit.ng reported that Prophet Abel Boma said Ighodalo will emerge as the winner of the upcoming election in Edo state.

Speaking in a video posted on his YouTube page, Prophet Boma dashed the hope of the APC.

Source: Legit.ng