From Jefferson Ibiwale, Benin  

The Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC has recovered 983 permanent voter cards which were stolen by unknown persons in Edo State.

The Resident Electoral Commissioner, REC, of the electoral body in Edo state, Mike Igini, announced the recovery of the cards in Benin, the state capital, on Friday at a stakeholders’ forum held at the office of the National Orientation Agency in Benin.

Igini disclosed that the returned voter cards were part of 3,661 PVCs forcefully snatched from INEC officials who were distributing them in 18 polling units in Orhionmwon local government area of the state in November last year.

However, the INEC commissioner did not disclosed how the PVCs were returned or who returned them and simply said that he took delivery of the cards after receiving anonymous calls about their return.

He stated that 661 of the cards were from Urhonigbe North polling units, while the remaining 322 cards were from Urhonigbe South polling units.

Igini pleaded for the return of the remaining stolen cards, pointing out that they would be useless to those who stole them during the coming elections

He also announced that the state INEC office had taken delivery of 1,861 card readers for the elections and assured that only accredited voters would be able to vote at the election.

Explaining the voting process, Igini said that with the use of card readers, eligible voters would be accredited within seconds

He also assured that there would be no equipment malfunction as the card readers can last for up to 14 hours.

He disclosed that 1,046,960 PVCs had been distributed in Edo State but maintained that the biggest challenges the commission faces is mobilising over one million eligible voters in Edo to vote and not the distribution of PVCs.

He stated that the Edo State INEC office was awaiting the delivery of 1,426 new PVCs and that they would be distributed to the owners as soon as they are received.

The stakeholders forum which was organised in preparation for the February general elections  was attended by representatives of security agencies, civil society organisations, NOA and the National Youth Service Corps, NYSC and political parties.

Leaders of political parties who attended the event signed a non-violence pact and committed to conducting campaigns according the law.