On Tuesday, the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) in Edo presented soft copies of the voters’ register to political parties participating in the September 21 Edo governorship election.

Anugbum Onuoha, resident electoral commissioner (REC) in Edo, presented the register to the chairs and secretaries of political parties and other officials at the INEC office in Benin.

He also presented the register to Olumide Akpata, the Labour Party (LP) candidate in the Edo governorship election.

Mr Onuoha said Mr Akpata was given because of the leadership crisis rocking the party in the state, which had polarised the Labour Party.

“The register will be presented to the party’s governorship candidate, Mr Olumide Akpata, as the sole candidate of the party in the election,” he said.

The LP has other executives led by Kelly Ogbalo and Elizabeth Ativie.

The REC said the presentation of the voters’ register to the political parties was in line with the relevant section of the Electoral Act.

He said the act mandated the commission, to within 30 days to the election, present the voters’ register to political parties.

Speaking, Rhoda Gamus, the national INEC commissioner supervising Edo, Delta, and Bayelsa, said 2,629,025 voters registered for the governorship election in Edo.

Mr Gamus urged the leadership of the political parties to mobilise their supporters to collect their Permanent Voter Cards (PVCs).

Olatunde Olalere, director of the voter registry, said the register had 1,370,061 males and 1,258,964 female voters.

He added that 8,847 PVCs were transferred from other states to Edo, while 109 voters transferred theirs from Edo to Ondo State.

According to him, Ikpoba Okha and Oredo local governments have the highest number of voters while Igueben Local Government has the lowest figure.

Earlier, the REC had briefed journalists in the state to keep them abreast with the distribution of PVCS and progress made toward conducting the governorship election.

(NAN)