The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has been called upon to investigate the activities of its personnel in the distribution of Permanent Voter Cards (PVCs) to registered voters in Edo State ahead of the September 21 governorship election, urging the Chairman of the Commission, Prof. Mahmood Yakubu, to take charge of the build-up to the election in the state.  
 
Transparency for Electoral Systems Advocacy (TEGA), in a petition to the INEC chairman at the weekend, accused electoral officers in some local councils of complicity, calling for the withdrawal of the state INEC Commissioner and electoral officers.  
     
In the petition signed by the state Coordinator of TEGA, Dr. Philip Edosa-Amadasun, titled, ‘Petition Against Compromising Electoral Officers (EOs) in Edo State Over Sale of Bulk PVCs,’ the group named electoral officers in Esan Central Local Council as complicit, alongside others across the state.  
   
It noted that such conspiracy between INEC staff and politicians could trigger violence and voter apathy in the coming election. The group noted: “Electoral officers in Edo State have been meeting with People’s Democratic Party (PDP) leaders, a situation that has resulted in the scandalous reports on social media platforms that members of the public were being denied their PVCs.
 
“On Friday, August 23, 2024, the EO of Esan Central Local Council, Mrs. Uduak Obot, was in the Irrua residence of a former PDP Senator.
   
“We believe that such an unholy alliance between the ruling PDP in the state and INEC officials is the reason members of the public, including the All Progressives Congress (APC) and Labour Party (LP) supporters were being denied their PVCs in the recent distribution exercise.”  
 
It also lamented the ugly situation where “members of the public have raised the alarm in Esan Central Local Council and across the state over their inability to find their PVCs. Their PVCs were reportedly handed over to PDP leaders in a conspiracy to rig elections.”

The petition referred to a video circulating on social media where a lady in Ikpoba-Okha of Edo South Senatorial District lamented that she was denied her PVC, as INEC officials handed over bulk PVCs to PDP leaders.”