The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) says it has distributed 31,444 new Permanent Voters Cards (PVCs) in Bayelsa.
Mallam Isah Shaka, the INEC Resident Electoral Commissioner (REC) in the state, disclosed this on Tuesday at the 2026 Election Stakeholders Forum held at the State Secretariat in Yenagoa.
The figure, he said, was out of the 52,225 PVCs allocated in the first phase of Continuous Voter Registration (CVR) across the eight Local Government Areas of the state, ahead of the 2027 general elections.
Breaking down the figure, Shaka said Brass received 6,211 PVCs; Ekermor, 12,023; Nembe, 3,620; and Kolokoma/Opokoma, 3,712.
Others, according to him, are Ogbia, 3,132 PVCs; Sagbama, 10,080; Yenegoa, 6,332; and Southern Ijaw, 7,115.
The INEC official stated that the CVR exercise commenced on Aug. 18, 2025, and was initially scheduled to end on July 12.
He noted, however, that following an extension of two weeks, the exercise concluded on July 26.
According to him, political competition should be conducted within the provisions of the law and the guidelines issued by the commission.
“I, therefore, expect all political parties to play by the rules.
“Respect the rights of other contestants and avoid any action capable of threatening public peace or undermining the credibility of the electoral process.
“The commission has made significant progress in its preparatory activities in monitoring of political parties' progress and Primaries, publication of candidates' credentials and final list of nominated candidates,” he said.
The REC encouraged qualified and interested members of the public to take advantage of the ongoing recruitment into the commission to submit their applications through the official recruitment portal before the deadline.
He asserted that the recruitment process remained an important part of the preparation for the general elections.
Also speaking, the Commissioner of Police in Bayelsa, Mr Ajao Adewale, said the idea of bringing together all the key stakeholders was not just a mere gathering but a strategic, non-kinetic engagement, aimed at ensuring a credible and rancour-free electoral process.
He stressed that the responsibility of the police is to help provide a safe environment before, during and after the elections, while respecting the independence of INEC and the rights of every citizen.
The police commissioner added that voters must be able to exercise their choices without intimidation, while electoral officials must be able to carry out their duties without interference.
“We are paying attention to potential threats that could disrupt the electoral process, including political violence, election-related criminal activities, threats against election officials and the spread of inflammatory misinformation.
“In view of the fact that security agencies cannot achieve peaceful elections alone, I urge political parties, candidates and all political actors to respect one another’s rights,” he said.
The police chief called on community leaders, youth groups and civil society organisations to help resolve tensions early and report credible threats promptly.
He noted that the police command, alongside other security agencies are committed to protecting the people’s right to participate in the electoral process peacefully.
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