The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has signalled its readiness to permit eligible Nigerians without Permanent Voter Cards (PVCs) to vote in the 2027 general elections. However, it maintains that such a change must be supported by amendments to existing electoral laws.
Rotimi Oyekanmi, Chief Press Secretary to the INEC Chairman, said on Wednesday that the commission is keen on leveraging technology to expand voter access. Nonetheless, he emphasised that any deviation from the current PVC-only system requires legislative backing.
This development aligns with comments made by INEC Chairman, Prof. Mahmood Yakubu, during a quarterly consultative meeting with Resident Electoral Commissioners held in Abuja in December 2024.
Yakubu underscored the increasing importance of technology, especially the Bimodal Voter Accreditation System (BVAS), in improving the electoral process.
He remarked, “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. This will not only save cost, it will also eliminate the issues around the collection of PVCs and the diabolical practice of buying up the cards from voters to disenfranchise them.”
INEC seeks compliance with legal frameworks
He reiterated that any alteration to voting procedures must comply with legal frameworks.
“It is not our stand-alone that is important. Equally critical is what the existing law says. While the commission is favourably 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,” he said.
