The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has announced the release of the preliminary register of new voters for the upcoming governorship elections in Edo and Ondo States.
In a press statement signed by Mr. Sam Olumekun, National Commissioner and Chairman of the Information and Voter Education Committee, the Commission outlined the next steps in the electoral process.
According to the release, the register will be displayed for claims and objections by citizens for a period of seven days starting from Wednesday, June 12, 2024. The display will take place in all 395 wards across both states and will also be available on the INEC website.
Citizens are encouraged to identify any ineligible persons on the register and file objections using Forms EC2 and EC3, which can be obtained from INEC officials or downloaded from the INEC website.
Additionally, individuals who have recently registered, applied for transfer, correction of personal details, or replacement of lost or damaged PVCs are urged to draw the Commission’s attention to any errors or wrong entries for further action.
The commission also provided statistics from the Continuous Voter Registration (CVR) process, indicating a total of 269,992 new voters in the two states following the suspension of registration on June 9, 2024.
The majority of registered voters are youths aged 18-34, with students comprising the largest occupational group. Requests for replacement of PVCs, voter transfer, and information updates were also noted.
The commission emphasized that these figures are preliminary and subject to further verification, as final figures will be published on a state-by-state basis after the claims and objections period and the use of the Automated Biometric Identification System (ABIS) to clean up the register. The date for the commencement of collection of new PVCs will be announced thereafter.
The Commission urged the public to take advantage of the register display period to assist in cleaning up the register as required by law.
The commission reiterated the importance of public participation in ensuring the accuracy and integrity of the voter register for the upcoming elections.
