Some civil society organisations (CSOs) have urged the National Assembly to adopt a resolution of the House of Representatives that would allow registered voters with missing or unissued Permanent Voter Cards (PVCs) to download them ahead of the 2027 general elections.
The groups said the move would help combat voter disenfranchisement and remove barriers to participation for millions of eligible voters.
The CSOs; Centre for Media and Society (CEMESO), Kukah Centre, International Press Centre (IPC), Elect Her, Nigerian Women Trust Fund, TAF Africa, and Yiaga Africa, made the call in a joint statement.
According to the coalition, allowing voters to download their PVCs would ensure that administrative challenges do not prevent Nigerians who are already registered from exercising their right to vote.
Representatives of the coalition, Dr Akin Akingbulu and Lanre Arogundade, also called on the National Assembly to retain existing provisions of the Electoral Act relating to pre-election timelines.
They recommended that the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) continues to operate with:
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360 days’ notice for elections
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180 days for political parties to submit candidate lists
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150 days for INEC to publish nominated candidates
The coalition warned that compressing these timelines could pose serious risks to the electoral process.
The call follows a recent decision by the Senate to approve sharp reductions in key pre-election deadlines.
These include cutting the notice period for elections from 360 days to 180 days, reducing the submission of candidate lists from 180 days to 90 days, and shortening INEC’s window for publishing nominations from 150 days to 60 days.
Civil society groups argue that such changes could undermine the credibility and smooth conduct of the 2027 general elections if not reconsidered.
