(PVCs. Photo Credit; Nation NEws)
The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) says 1,028,929 out of 1,059,360 registered voters in Ekiti State have collected their Permanent Voters’ Cards (PVCs) ahead of Saturday’s governorship election.
INEC National Commissioner and Chairman of the Information and Voter Education Committee, Mohammed Haruna, disclosed this in a statement following the conclusion of the PVC collection exercise in the state.
He noted that the suspension of the Continuous Voter Registration exercise on May 15, followed by a clean-up of the voters’ register, saw the number of registered voters rise from 987,647 in 2023 to 1,059,360 in 2026.
PVC collection similarly increased from a 97.0 per cent collection rate in 2023 to 97.1 per cent in the current cycle.
Haruna noted that the collection exercise, originally scheduled to end on June 11, was extended to June 14 following stakeholder consultations in Ado-Ekiti.
He also explained that in line with the Electoral Act 2026, the commission processed replacement PVCs for voters whose cards were lost, damaged, or defaced, with 14,406 applications received and most replacement cards already printed and collected.
However, he noted that the option of downloadable digital voter cards could not be implemented for this election due to incomplete technology infrastructure, but would be available for subsequent elections, including the Osun governorship election in August 2026 and the 2027 general election.
The INEC commissioner commended the support of traditional rulers, community leaders, civil society organisations, political parties, and the media in mobilising citizens to collect their PVCs.
He confirmed that all PVCs, including those for voters who applied for transfers or replacements, have been printed and made available, with a detailed breakdown by local government area published on the commission’s website and social media platforms.
Haruna urged all registered voters to turn out peacefully on election day to exercise their franchise, and reassured Ekiti residents of INEC’s commitment to conducting a free, fair, credible, and inclusive governorship election.