Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Prof Mahmood Yakubu, says that 2,629,025 voters registered to participate in the forthcoming September 21 governorship election in Edo State.
The INEC Chairman stated this on Wednesday at the election stakeholders meeting held at the Victor Uwaifo Creative Hub, in Benin City, the Edo State capital.
Yakubu said that the commission will begin the distribution of sensitive material next week. He appealed to stakeholders to join hands with the commission to mobilise voters for the election and enjoined political parties and their members to maintain decorum, come September 21.
He said “I must commend all stakeholders in the Edo State for the level of mobilisation, both for the registration of voters and the collection of personal voters’ cards (PVCs) in just five days at ward level, over 125,000 PVCs were collected, representing 68.3% of new PVCs collected.
“As already announced by the commission, Edo State now has 2.6 million registered voters that will take part in voting on election day.”
Yakubu stated that 18 political parties are now taking part in the election and no longer 17 parties, following a court order that compelled INEC to recognise the candidate of the National Rescue Movement (NRM).
“The National Rescue Movement (NRM) which could not find its nomination on the candidates list has now obtained a court order to compel the commission to include the party on the ballot. We have complied with the court order. Eighteen political parties are now participating in the 2024 Edo State election and not 17 political parties as earlier published.
The INEC boss further stated that the commission has so far accredited 134 Observer groups, 124 domestic, and 10 International, and together, they will be deploying 1,836 observers across the state. Similarly, “we have accredited 114 media organisations deploying over 700 journalists. We have also accredited thousands of agents representing candidates and political parties at the 4,730 polling and coalition locations made up of the 4,519 polling units, 192 ward coalition centres, the 18 local government coalition centres and the state coalition centre located in our state office here in Benin.”
Present at the election stakeholders meeting were, the Inspector General of Police and other heads of security agencies in Edo State, INEC National Commissioners and the Edo State Resident Electoral Commissioner of INEC, chairmen and candidates of the 18 political parties taking part in the election, the representative of the Oba of Benin, religious and traditional leaders and CSO’s among others.
