INEC Fixes October For PVC Collection

NIGERIA, ABUJA – The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has fixed October 9, 2026, for the commencement of nationwide collection of newly issued Permanent Voter Cards ahead of the 2027 general elections.

INEC Chairman Joash Amupitan announced the date in Kaduna during the commission’s North-West Zonal Interactive Meeting with staff.

He said the cards followed three phases of Continuous Voter Registration, which recorded 10,772,421 new registrants. The figure remains subject to verification through the Automated Biometric Identification System, which is currently being concluded.

By phase, the first exercise, from August 25 to December 10, 2025, recorded 2,611,266 registrations, the second, from January 5 to April 17, 2026, recorded 4,121,835, and the third, from May 11 to July 26, 2026, recorded 3,867,997.

Amupitan directed officials to address operational challenges that could hinder collection, particularly in rural communities.

He also warned that shortcomings in distribution at the Local Government Area level could stop registered voters from taking part in the 2027 elections. During a visit to the Emir of Zazzau, he asked traditional rulers to encourage eligible citizens to collect their cards.

INEC also said the national voter register is nearing 100 million registered voters. The commission is upgrading its Result Management Systems, including the newly introduced eEC8A platform, and has announced a “Zero-Failure” logistics strategy covering the movement of election materials, transportation, security arrangements and the training of ad-hoc personnel.