In preparation for the upcoming off-cycle governorship election in Edo State next month, the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has presented the certified register of voters to the political parties fielding candidates.
The presentation took place on Tuesday in Benin City, where Edo State Resident Electoral Commissioner (REC) Anugbum Onuoha handed over the soft copies of the voters’ register to political party representatives. These included party chairmen, secretaries, and other designated officials.
However, due to internal leadership conflicts within the Labour Party (LP) in Edo State, the voters’ register was presented directly to the party’s governorship candidate, Olumide Akpata. The party is currently divided between factions led by Kelly Ogbaloi and Elizabeth Ativie.
According to Onuoha, this exercise is mandated by the Electoral Act, which requires INEC to present the voters’ register to political parties within 30 days of the election.
INEC National Commissioner Rhoda Gamus, who supervises Edo, Delta, and Bayelsa States, reported that a total of 2,629,025 voters are registered for the governorship election in Edo State. She urged political parties to encourage their supporters to collect their Permanent Voters Cards (PVCs), as they would not be allowed to vote without them.
The Director of Voter Registry, Olatunde Olalere, provided further details, noting that 8,847 voters had transferred their PVCs from other states to Edo, while 109 voters transferred theirs to Ondo. He also mentioned that 54,202 voters had registered multiple times.
In terms of local government registration, Ikpoba Okha and Oredo Local Governments recorded the highest number of voters, while Igueben Local Government had the lowest.
