The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has announced that the nationwide collection of Permanent Voter Cards (PVCs) will commence on Friday, October 9, 2026. This development comes as the National Register of Voters has risen to more than 103 million. The latest figure follows the conclusion of the three-phase Continuous Voter Registration (CVR) exercise and the completion of the final Automated Biometric Identification System (ABIS) cleanup.
According to INEC Chairman, Prof. Joash Amupitan, the three phases of the CVR exercise produced 10,772,421 new registrations, subject to the ABIS verification. The first phase, which ran from August 25 to December 10, 2025, recorded 2,611,266 registrations. The second phase, conducted from January 5 to April 17, 2026, registered 4,121,835 voters. The third phase, held between May 11 and July 26, 2026, recorded 3,867,997 new registrations.
Prof. Amupitan disclosed this information on Monday in Abuja while speaking at a strategic workshop for editors organised by the Nigerian Guild of Editors (NGE) in collaboration with the commission. He urged the media to inform registered voters about collection locations and encourage them to collect their cards ahead of the 2027 elections. Amupitan said INEC had introduced online voter registration and printable PVC technology to reduce the difficulties associated with physical registration and prolonged waiting for voter cards.
The INEC chairman said the commission had completed the processing and distribution of Phase One PVCs to local government collection centres ahead of Friday’s nationwide exercise. He reminded the Nigerian public that the nationwide collection of Permanent Voters’ Cards (PVCs) will commence in exactly four days, on Friday, 9th October 2026. Amupitan also disclosed that the commission had commenced nationwide readiness assessments ahead of the elections.
The readiness assessments, which cover state office facilities, storage facilities, security arrangements, and logistics deployment networks, have already been completed in the South-West and North-West geopolitical zones. Similar exercises will be conducted in the remaining four geopolitical zones. On the 2027 election timetable, Amupitan said INEC had completed eight of the 14 major activities contained in the revised timetable issued on February 26, 2026.
According to Amupitan, the timetable had been translated into an operational plan covering INEC’s headquarters directorates, 36 state offices, the Federal Capital Territory, and 774 local government areas. He said early procurement and distribution of non-sensitive election materials had commenced, while new operational vehicles were being distributed to state offices and local government areas.
Amupitan warned electoral officials and temporary personnel against any form of electoral malpractice or compromise, emphasizing the need for neutrality and professionalism in the discharge of their duties. The INEC chairman also expressed confidence in the commission's ability to deliver a free, fair, and transparent election in 2027.
Key points
- INEC to start nationwide PVC collection on October 9, 2026.
- Nigeria's voter register grows to over 103 million.
- INEC commences nationwide readiness assessments ahead of the 2027 elections.
