Ahead of Saturday June 20, 2026 governorship election in Ekiti State, no fewer than 1,028,929 registered voters, representing 97.1 per cent have collected their permanent voter’s cards, PVC.
Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, announced this in a statement issued on Wednesday by its National Commissioner and Chairman of the Information and Voter Education Committee, Mohammed Kudu Haruna, after a successful conclusion of the PVCs collection exercise.
According to the statement, the number of registered voters in Ekiti State increased from 987,647 in 2023 to 1,059,360 in 2026 following the suspension of the Continuous Voter Registration, CVR, exercise on May 15 and the subsequent clean-up of the voters’ register.
Haruna disclosed that PVC collection also witnessed a marginal increase, rising from 958,052 cards collected in 2023, representing a 97.0 per cent collection rate, to 1,028,929 cards in 2026, accounting for 97.1 per cent of registered voters.
The commission noted that the PVC collection exercise, initially scheduled to end on June 11, was extended to June 14 after consultations with stakeholders during a meeting held in Ado-Ekiti, a move aimed at enabling more voters to obtain their cards before the election.
On requests for replacement PVCs, INEC said it received 14,406 applications from voters whose cards were lost, damaged, or defaced within the stipulated period.
The commission confirmed that all replacement cards were produced, with the majority already collected by applicants.
The electoral body, however, explained that plans to introduce downloadable copies of lost, damaged, or defaced voter cards could not be implemented for the Ekiti election because the required technological infrastructure is still being completed.
It added that the innovation is expected to be available for future elections, including the Osun State Governorship Election in August 2026 and the 2027 General Election.
Haruna expressed appreciation to traditional rulers, community leaders, civil society organisations, political parties, and the media for supporting voter mobilisation efforts and encouraging citizens to collect their PVCs.
He further stated that all eligible applicants, including those who applied for voter transfers and replacement cards, had their PVCs printed and made available, adding that a detailed breakdown of PVC collection across the state’s local government areas has been published on the commission’s website and social media platforms.
The commission urged all registered voters who have collected their PVCs to participate peacefully in the election and reaffirmed its commitment to conducting a free, fair, credible, and inclusive governorship poll in Ekiti State.
