From Osaigbovo Iguobaro, Benin
Independent National Electoral commission (INEC), is set to reclaim a total of 2052 permanent voters card (PVC) snatched by suspected hoodlums during the last Registration exercise in Orhionmwon Local Government Area of Edo state.
The figure however falls short of 2,606 PVC’s out of a total of 4,658 snatched PVC’s which were unaccounted for by the commission as at last year.
State Resident Electoral Commissioner, Barrister Mike Igini dropped the hint on Wednesday at an interactive session with leaders of registered political parties in the state at the commission’s headquarters.
Igini said he received the “good news from anonymous caller’’ on his mobile phone to welcome him back home (Edo state), shortly after his submission on the consequences of the awful act at a similar stakeholders forum put together by the state police command headquarters on Tuesday.
He affirmed that the PVC’s were stolen in some parts of the state, including Orhionmwon, Akoko-Edo, Egor, Etsako West, Oredo, Owan East and Ovia North East Local Government Areas.
“The PVC’s are intact…that is the good news. That call was received from an anonymous caller in Orhionmwon’’, according to the commissioner who warned those that fail to return the remaining PVC’s in their possession “will not participate in February elections’’ under his watch.
He noted that the state headquarters of INEC has received 1, 535,84 PVC’s, while 1, 791,433 are expected to vote in Edo state in the 2015 elections as couched in INEC voters Register.
The figure over 200, 000 higher than a total of 1.5 million Registered voters in the state in the 2011 general elections, according to him.
He clarified that the commission would begin another round of collection of the remaining 24, 000 PVC’s which are yet to be collected by eligible voters.
Besides, a total of 935, 672 PVC’s already distributed in the state by INEC.
The three days distribution exercise has been schedule to begin on Saturday 17th January this year across the 18 Local Government headquarters of INEC in the state, according to him.
He said elections will hold at 2,627 polling units in the state.
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