1.7m voters decide Obaseki’s, Iyamu’s fate

Agency Reporter

RECORDS at the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) indicate that no fewer than 1.72 million people are eligible to vote in Saturday’s governorship poll in Edo State while 483,796 eligible voters will not participate.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN), quoting an INEC document entitled “Delimitation of Edo State”, said the 483,796 registered voters failed to collect their permanent voter cards (PVCs).

The consolidated figure of registered voters in the state as at August 2018 stood at 2,210,534 registered voters, while only 1,726,738 collected their PVCs, the document indicates.

The document shows that Edo has 18 local government areas, with 192 wards and 2,627 polling units.

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A further breakdown of the registered voters figure in the document shows that the male accounts for 1,159,325 (representing 52 per cent) while 1,051,209 (48 percent) are female.

Similarly, from the total registered voters, the youth (18-35 years) account for 50 per cent (1,105,338); middle aged (36-50 years) account for 29.1 per cent (643,551); and the elderly (51-70 years) has 15.99 per cent (353,508).

Eligible voters classified as the old (70 years and above) account for 4.89 per cent (108,137).

Further distribution of registered voters in the three senatorial districts of the state shows that Edo South has the highest figure of 1,281,414: the North with 564,122 while Central Senatorial District has 364,998.

Edo South has seven council areas; the North has six while the Central has five.

According to the number of collected PVCs, Oredo zone has 240,197; Ikpoba-Okha is 214,882; Egor has 158,817; Etsako West has 128,188 and Akoko Edo with 115,343.