INEC says 52,225 voter cards still uncollected in Bayelsa
- INEC says 52,225 Permanent Voter Cards are waiting to be picked up across Bayelsa State.
- Ekeremor has the most uncollected cards at 12,023, followed by Sagbama and Southern Ijaw.
- INEC and police urged peaceful campaigns ahead of the 2027 general elections.
The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) says 52,225 Permanent Voter Cards (PVCs) are still uncollected across Bayelsa State, less than a year before the 2027 general elections.
The commission gave the figure at a stakeholders' meeting in Yenagoa on Tuesday, attended by electoral officials, political parties, security agencies and civil society groups.
For an ordinary voter, an uncollected card means a lost vote. INEC's Resident Electoral Commissioner in Bayelsa, Isah Ehimeakhe, said low turnout could weaken the credibility of the election and asked registered voters to pick up their cards.
Where the cards are waiting
Ekeremor Local Government Area has the highest number, with 12,023 uncollected PVCs. Sagbama follows with 10,080 and Southern Ijaw with 7,115.
- Yenagoa: 6,332
- Brass: 6,211
- Kolokuma/Opokuma: 3,712
- Nembe: 3,620
- Ogbia: 3,132
Ehimeakhe said transport costs and difficult terrain in riverine communities are a real barrier. Some residents must travel by water and spend heavily just to reach a collection centre.
"We recognise the peculiar challenges confronting residents of riverine communities, particularly transportation difficulties and the cost of accessing collection centres," he said.
A Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) representative at the meeting asked INEC to make practical arrangements so nobody is shut out because of the cost of travel. The party also wants INEC to publish registration and collection figures regularly, so parties and community leaders can see which areas need urgent help.
Peace warning ahead of 2027
Both INEC and the police used the meeting to warn politicians against violence, hate speech and false information during campaigns.
Ehimeakhe said political competition should be about ideas and programmes, not personal attacks. The Bayelsa Commissioner of Police, Ajao Saka Adewale, urged politicians to put national interest above personal ambition and to avoid anything that could spark clashes between supporters.
Stakeholders also asked for better training of ad hoc election staff, stronger protection of electoral materials and closer coordination between INEC and security agencies. They called for women, young people and persons with disabilities to be fully included.
INEC said its portal for ad hoc election staff, opened on September 18, will close at midnight on November 18, 2026. Campaigns for the presidential and National Assembly elections began on August 19, 2026, and end at midnight on January 14, 2027.
What happens next: Registered voters in Bayelsa can still collect their PVCs before the 2027 polls. Expect more voter education drives in riverine areas, and watch whether INEC publishes collection figures as the PDP requested.
