The Independent National Electoral Commission has expressed readiness to permit Nigerians without Permanent Voter Cards to vote in the 2027 general elections, but only if legislative amendments support this. The Chief Press Secretary to the INEC Chairman, Rotimi Oyekanmi, stated that the Commission was committed to expanding voter access through technology, but emphasized that legal provisions must first be updated to accommodate any shift from the current PVC-only system.
The initiative followed remarks by INEC Chairman, Prof. Mahmood Yakubu, in December 2024 during a quarterly consultative meeting with Resident Electoral Commissioners in Abuja.
Yakubu highlighted the growing role of technology, particularly the Bimodal Voter Accreditation System, in streamlining the electoral process, which would lower costs, ease logistical burdens, and curb the misuse of voter cards.
He noted that while PVCs will remain valid for those who possess them, future elections could allow voters to use slips generated by INEC or downloaded from its official website for accreditation.
“The commission also believes that with the introduction of the Bimodal Voter Accreditation System, the use of the Permanent Voters’ Cards as the sole means of identification for voter accreditation on Election Day should be reviewed.”
“Those who already have the PVCs can still use them to vote, but going forward, computer-generated slips issued to the voter or even downloaded from the Commission’s website will suffice for voter accreditation.”
“These will not only save cost, but they will also eliminate the issues around the PVC collection and the diabolical practice of buying up the cards from voters to disenfranchise them”.
“It is not our stand-alone that is important. Equally critical is what the existing law says. While the commission is favorably disposed to the recommendation by stakeholders, that PVCs alone should not be the only criterion for voting at an election, the law needs to be amended to reflect it.”
