From Tony Osauzo, Benin
The Edo State office of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), yesterday, announced that it has received the last batch of Permanent Voters Card (PVC) from its headquarters in Abuja.
Head, Voter Education and Publicity, Mr Timidi Wariowei, told newsmen in Benin that the PVCs arrived on Wednesday.
He said counting and sorting of the PVCs were ongoing to determine the actual numbers.
“We have just received the last tranche of PVCs for Edo. The commission earlier promised Nigerians and Edo people that the last batch of PVCs would be ready by November ending. And yesterday, November 30, the PVCs arrived Edo office of the Commission. As you can see, the electoral officers from various local government are counting and sorting to get the actual numbers received. After which, the cards will be taken to the local government areas for collection.”
Wariowei said as at November 20, the figures of uncollected old PVCs stood at 483,796, out of which 12,351 had been collected, leaving a balance of 471,445 in the office while the number of new PVCs received as at November 20 was 44,036 out of which 21,638 had been collected, leaving a balance of 22,398 in the office, even as he disclosed that the Bimodal Voter Accreditation System, BVAS, would arrive the state any moment.
“As we speak, our officers are at the Benin airport waiting to receive the BVAS which we are going to use for accreditation on election day”, Wariowei stated.