The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has announced that nationwide collection of Permanent Voter Cards (PVCs) will begin on Friday, October 9, 2026. This development is part of INEC's preparations for the 2027 general elections. The commission's chairman, Professor Joash Amupitan, revealed this information at the 10th annual conference of the Guild of Corporate Online Publishers (GOCOP) in Lagos.
According to INEC, the number of registered voters has risen to over 103 million after the completion of the three-phase Continuous Voter Registration (CVR) exercise. During this exercise, 10,772,421 new voters were registered. These new registrations have undergone biometric verification, and INEC has completed the final Automated Biometric Identification System (ABIS) cleanup of the register.
INEC has scheduled the preliminary display of the register from October 9 to 15, 2026, for voters to check their details and raise claims or objections where necessary. The commission has also introduced printable PVC technology to reduce the time voters spend waiting for their cards and make it easier to replace lost or stolen cards.
INEC has audited its technological infrastructure and procured new devices ahead of the 2027 elections. The commission is strengthening its cybersecurity system and deploying artificial intelligence tools to identify and respond to possible threats to the electoral process. Additionally, INEC has acquired 57,000 new Bimodal Voter Accreditation System (BVAS) machines for the election.
At the conference, INEC chairman Professor Joash Amupitan disagreed with Senior Advocate of Nigeria, Olisa Agbakoba, on the media's reporting of election projections and exit polls. Agbakoba questioned whether restrictions on such reports would be consistent with constitutional rights to freedom of expression and access to information.
Amupitan noted that people and organisations are free to express opinions and make predictions, but official election results can only be declared by the appropriate electoral officers. He warned that unofficial declarations could create confusion and trigger a crisis, urging the media to rely on verified results uploaded through INEC's Result Viewing platform, IReV, when reporting election results.
A panel discussion on "2027 Elections: Trust, Transparency and Shared Responsibilities" raised concerns about election projections, INEC's readiness, and the prosecution of electoral offenders. The panelists called for closer scrutiny of party primaries, greater participation by women and young people, and the use of technology to restore Nigerians' confidence in elections. They also urged INEC to give the public more information about the technology it plans to use in 2027.
Key points
- Nationwide PVC collection starts on Friday, October 9, 2026.
- INEC has registered over 103 million voters.
- The commission has introduced printable PVC technology.
