The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has concluded the collection of Permanent Voters’ Cards (PVCs) in Ekiti State, recording a 97.1 per cent distribution success rate ahead of the state’s governorship election scheduled for Saturday, June 20.
In a statement released on Wednesday, the National Commissioner and Chairman of the Information and Voter Education Committee, Mohammed Haruna, revealed that a total of 1,028,929 PVCs were successfully collected by registered voters out of the state’s total voting population.
The data released by the commission indicates a notable expansion in Ekiti State’s electoral roll over the last three years.
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Following the suspension of the Continuous Voter Registration (CVR) exercise on May 15, 2026, and a subsequent data clean-up, the number of registered voters in the state rose to 1,059,360.
This marks an increase from the 987,647 voters registered during the 2023 cycle.
The collection rate also witnessed a slight marginal improvement.
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While 958,052 cards were collected in 2023 (representing 97.0 per cent), the 2026 exercise closed at 97.1 per cent.
INEC noted that the final figures were made possible after the commission extended the collection deadline from June 11 to June 14, 2026, following crucial consultations with local stakeholders in Ado-Ekiti.
In compliance with Section 18(1) of the Electoral Act 2026—which mandates the electoral umpire to provide replacement cards for voters whose original PVCs were defaced, damaged, or lost, INEC disclosed that it received 14,406 applications within the designated window.
The commission confirmed that all 14,406 replacement cards were printed and made available to applicants, with the vast majority already picked up by their respective owners alongside those who requested inter-state or intra-state voting transfers.
Responding to inquiries about modernising the card replacement framework, INEC explained that it could not deploy the option of downloadable voter cards for the Ekiti governorship election.
The commission attributed this to the incomplete technical infrastructure required to support secure digital downloads.
However, Haruna assured that the technology would become active for voters in the upcoming off-cycle and general elections, highlighting the Osun State Governorship Election slated for August 2026 and the 2027 General Election.
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The electoral umpire expressed gratitude to civil society organisations, political parties, traditional rulers, community leaders, and the media for mobilising the public during the registration and collection windows.
A comprehensive breakdown of the final PVC collection data across all Local Government Areas (LGAs) has been uploaded to INEC’s official website and social media channels.
As residents prepare to head to the polls on Saturday, the commission urged all card-carrying voters to maintain orderliness and turn out peacefully to cast their ballots, reiterating its commitment to delivering a free, fair, credible, and inclusive election in Ekiti State.
