The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has announced that nationwide collection of Permanent Voter Cards (PVCs) will begin on October 9, 2026, as the commission prepares for the 2027 general elections.
INEC Chairman, Prof. Joash Amupitan, disclosed this on Monday at a strategic workshop for editors organised by the Nigerian Guild of Editors (NGE) in collaboration with the commission in Abuja.
Amupitan said the commission had completed the processing and distribution of Phase One PVCs to all local government collection centres and urged registered voters to collect their cards ahead of the elections.
According to him, Nigeria’s National Register of Voters has now surpassed 103 million following the completion of the three phases of the Continuous Voter Registration (CVR) exercise and the final cleanup of the register using the Automated Biometric Identification System (ABIS).
The three phases of the CVR exercise produced more than 10.7 million new registrations, although the final figure was subject to the completion of the verification process.
The INEC chairman also highlighted the commission’s use of technology to prevent voters from being disenfranchised, particularly through the introduction of printable and downloadable PVCs.
He cited the recent Osun election, where some PVCs were reportedly stolen, noting that INEC deployed its technology to ensure affected voters could still obtain valid voting credentials and participate in the election.
Amupitan said the commission would continue to take measures to ensure that registered voters are not prevented from exercising their franchise due to challenges involving their voter cards.
He therefore called on the media to help sensitise Nigerians on the PVC collection exercise, including where and when registered voters can collect their cards.
The INEC chairman urged Nigerians who registered during the CVR exercise to take advantage of the October 9 commencement date and collect their PVCs promptly as preparations for the 2027 general elections intensify.
