52,225 PVCs Await Collection in Bayelsa – INEC

A total of 52,225 Permanent Voter Cards (PVCs) are yet to be collected in Bayelsa State ahead of the 2027 general elections, the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has said.

The commission disclosed this at a stakeholders’ meeting in Yenagoa on Tuesday, where INEC, security agencies, political parties and civil society organisations called for peaceful campaigns and credible elections.

INEC Resident Electoral Commissioner in Bayelsa, Isah Shaka Ehimeakhe, urged political parties, traditional rulers, religious leaders, civil society groups and the media to encourage eligible voters who had registered to collect their cards.

According to the figures released by INEC, Ekeremor Local Government Area has the highest number of uncollected PVCs, with 12,023, followed by Sagbama with 10,080 and Southern Ijaw with 7,115.

Yenagoa has 6,332 uncollected cards, Brass 6,211, Kolokuma/Opokuma 3,712, Nembe 3,620 and Ogbia 3,132.

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Ehimeakhe urged political parties to sustain peaceful campaigns and focus on their policies and programmes rather than hate speech, personal attacks and misinformation.

He said campaigns for the presidential and National Assembly elections began on August 19, 2026, and would end at midnight on January 14, 2027.

A representative of the Peoples Democratic Party called on INEC to consider alternative arrangements for residents of remote riverine communities who face high transportation costs when travelling to collect their PVCs.

He also urged the commission to publish voter registration and PVC collection figures to help political parties and other stakeholders identify areas requiring more mobilisation, especially communities accessible mainly by water.

On security, the Bayelsa State Commissioner of Police, Ajao Saka Adewale, urged politicians to put the national interest above personal ambitions and avoid statements or actions that could lead to violence.

He called on political actors to support peaceful campaigns and contribute to the conduct of credible elections in the state.