#EdoDecides2024: INEC extends voting time

INEC takes the decision over late arrival of polling officers.

The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has extended voting hours at polling units where late arrival of polling officials were recorded during Saturday’s Edo State governorship election.

Earlier, PREMIUM TIMES reported that some angry voters expressed frustrations over the delay in commencement of voting due to late arrival of INEC officials.

Mohammed Haruna, INEC’s National Commissioner, Information and Voter Education Committee, said in a statement posted on the electoral body’s X handle that “voting will be extended wherever it commenced late and will continue until the last voter on the queue who arrived at the Polling Unit by 2.30pm has voted.”

“Accordingly, we have drawn the attention of our office in Edo State to ensure that, where necessary, there is adequate power supply from our back-up electric generators in the affected Polling Units or Ward Collation Centres.”

He said INEC took the decision to ensure that no voter is denied their constitutional rights to vote.

“The Commission continues to monitor the ongoing governorship election in Edo State from our situation room at the National Headquarters in Abuja.

“Our monitoring indicates early commencement of polls in many Polling Units, but there are also reports of late commencement in some locations,” part of the statement reads.

There are 17 candidates, consisting of 16 men and one woman, contesting Saturday’s governorship election.

However, the race appears to have narrowed down to a three-horse race between the front-runners: Olumide Akpata of the Labour Party (LP), Asue Ighodalo of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), and Monday Okpebholo of the All Progressives Congress (APC).

According to data from the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), there are 2,629,025 registered voters in the state. However, only 2,249,780 have collected their Permanent Voter Cards (PVCs).

Edo South Senatorial District, with its seven local government areas, leads in PVC collections with 1,254,424, representing 55.76% of the total. Edo North Senatorial District follows with 629,397 PVCs, or 27.98%, while Edo Central Senatorial District lags with 365,959 PVCs, accounting for 16.27%.

Edo State is divided into 18 local government areas, 192 electoral wards, and 4,519 polling units.