The Independent National Electoral Commission announced that nationwide collection of Permanent Voter Cards would begin on Friday, October 9, 2026. The exercise is part of preparations for the 2027 general elections.
INEC Chairman Prof. Joash Amupitan made the announcement on Monday. He spoke at a strategic workshop for media executives organised by the commission in collaboration with Development Alternatives Incorporated and the Nigerian Guild of Editors in Abuja.
According to the commission, Nigeria’s National Register of Voters has risen to more than 103 million. Amupitan said the three-phase Continuous Voter Registration exercise attracted more than 10.6 million new applicants.
He added that the public display of the Preliminary Register for claims and objections had been completed. The commission also finished the final Automated Biometric Identification System cleanup of the register.
Amupitan stressed that the start of PVC collection was particularly important as the country approaches the 2027 general elections. He said the commission was working to ensure that the electoral process remained transparent, technology-driven and credible.
Furthermore, the INEC chairman stated that the commission remained committed to continuously improving the Bimodal Voter Accreditation System and the INEC Result Viewing Portal. “To ensure that every valid vote counts and is seen to count,” he said.
Meanwhile, the Director of Voter Education and Publicity Department Mrs Victoria Eta-Messi identified misinformation and disinformation as major factors contributing to declining citizen participation. She urged media organisations to support INEC by ensuring that accurate and timely information reached citizens.
The commission completed the processing and distribution of Phase One PVCs to local government collection centres ahead of the nationwide exercise.
