INEC Draws The Line: No PVC, No Vote In 2027 Elections

The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has reiterated that Nigerians will not be permitted to vote without presenting their Permanent Voter Cards (PVCs), despite the advanced capabilities of the Bimodal Voter Accreditation System (BVAS).

According to Ireporter Online, the clarification followed debates arising from post-2023 general election review sessions, where some stakeholders suggested that voters should be allowed to use alternative forms of identification on election day, given BVAS’s growing efficiency in authenticating voter identities.

Speaking on Saturday, the Chief Press Secretary to the INEC Chairman, Rotimi Oyekanmi, explained that while the commission acknowledged the proposals, it remained bound by the provisions of the Electoral Act.

“INEC is not considering voting without the Permanent Voter Cards. The suggestion came during our post-2023 review engagements, where stakeholders argued that since BVAS contains details of registered voters in each polling unit, Nigerians should be allowed to vote with any valid form of identification, including the PVC,” Oyekanmi stated.

He noted that although BVAS has greatly enhanced the accreditation process through facial and fingerprint verification, it does not override legal requirements.

“The commission does not oppose the idea in principle, but aspects of the law—particularly Section 47 of the Electoral Act 2022, which mandates voters to present their PVCs at the polling unit—would need amendment before such a system could be adopted,” he added.

By law, no individual is allowed to cast a ballot without first presenting their PVC and being verified by INEC’s technological devices. This requirement has been a recurring concern, especially as millions of PVCs remain uncollected nationwide.

As of August 24, official figures showed that 5,965,451 PVCs were yet to be picked up by their owners. Lagos leads with 845,225 uncollected cards, followed by Oyo with 515,254 and Ogun with 410,281. Other states with large backlogs include Osun (360,794), Kano (327,177), Ondo (295,856), and Rivers (251,418).

In Abia, 171,626 PVCs are yet to be claimed, while Adamawa has 225,916. Kwara records 158,653, Kaduna 170,735, and Benue 170,586. Smaller figures were reported in states such as Ekiti (29,595), Anambra (31,690), Bauchi (37,169), and Jigawa (52,933). The Federal Capital Territory also reported 93,868 uncollected PVCs.

To address voter apathy and logistical challenges, INEC resumed the Continuous Voter Registration (CVR) exercise last month. The online registration began on August 18, while physical registration started on August 25. The exercise is aimed at enrolling new voters and enabling those with uncollected cards from past exercises to retrieve them before the 2027 general elections.