The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has announced that a total of 2,629,025 registered voters will participate in the upcoming Edo State governorship election scheduled for September 21, 2024. This disclosure was made by INEC's Supervising National Commissioner for Edo, Delta, and Cross River States, Professor Rhoda Gumus, during the presentation of the voter register to the representatives of the 16 political parties contesting the election. The presentation took place at the commission’s office in Benin City.
Professor Gumus emphasized the significance of adhering to the Electoral Act, 2022, which mandates the commission to present voter registers to political parties no later than 30 days before the election. She highlighted that the presentation marks the 10th out of 13 activities planned by INEC for the Edo governorship election. In her remarks, she urged political actors and their supporters to avoid violence, stressing that elections should not be treated as a do-or-die affair. “If you do not win today, you may win tomorrow,” Gumus noted, calling for cooperation from all stakeholders to ensure a peaceful, free, and fair election process.
Echoing her sentiments, the Resident Electoral Commissioner (REC) for Edo, Dr. Anugbum Onuoha, provided an update on the voter registration statistics. He noted that while 2,501,081 voters were registered in Edo State for the 2023 general elections, an additional 173,048 persons were registered during the Continuous Voter Registration (CVR) exercise held from May 27 to June 9, 2024. After a thorough validation process, 119,206 of these registrants were confirmed as eligible voters, bringing the total number of voters to 2,629,025.
Dr. Onuoha urged all eligible voters to collect their Permanent Voter Cards (PVCs) at designated registration centers across their wards between August 22 and 26, with the process running from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. daily, including weekends. The collection of PVCs will then be moved to the local government offices of INEC from August 28 to September 8, 2024.
The Chairman of the Inter-Party Advisory Council (IPAC) in Edo, Mr. Greg Igbinomwanhia, who also serves as the state’s Chairman of the People’s Redemption Party (PRP), lauded INEC for its smooth execution of the electoral activities. He underscored the importance of ensuring that the September 21 governorship election is not only free and fair but also conducted peacefully.
As the election date approaches, all eyes are on Edo State, with both local and national stakeholders hoping for a credible process that reflects the true will of the people. The peaceful conduct of this election is crucial, given the charged political atmosphere and the high stakes involved in determining the state's next leader.
Tags
News