INEC Sets October 9 for PVC Collection

The Independent National Electoral Commission has announced that the collection of newly issued Permanent Voter Cards will commence on October 9 as preparations intensify for the 2027 general elections.

INEC Chairman, Professor Joash O. Amupitan, SAN, disclosed this on Monday in Kaduna during the commission’s North-West Zonal Interactive Meeting with Staff and Readiness Assessment for the 2027 General Election.

Amupitan urged eligible Nigerians who registered during the recent Continuous Voter Registration exercises to ensure they collect their PVCs when the exercise begins.

He also called on traditional rulers to mobilise eligible citizens in their communities to collect their cards and participate in the electoral process.

The INEC chairman said the commission was working to eliminate bottlenecks affecting PVC distribution at the Local Government Area level to ensure that eligible voters were not disenfranchised because of logistical challenges.

According to him, three phases of the Continuous Voter Registration have produced 10,772,421 new registrations, subject to verification through the Automated Biometric Identification System.

The commission is conducting the North-West readiness assessment as part of a six-zone national tour to identify operational challenges and address them ahead of the 2027 elections.

Amupitan said the success of the elections would depend largely on what happens at the grassroots, particularly at Local Government Areas, Registration Area Centres and polling units.

He said INEC was also refining its technological systems for voter verification and result transmission as part of efforts to strengthen election administration.

The Supervising National Commissioner for Kaduna, Mallam Kudu Haruna, said the Kaduna engagement included a courtesy visit by Amupitan to the Emir of Zazzau and Chairman of the Kaduna State Council of Traditional Rulers.

Haruna said the visit provided an opportunity for INEC to brief traditional institutions on preparations for the 2027 elections and seek their support in encouraging eligible citizens to collect their PVCs.