The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has clarified that Nigerians will not be allowed to vote without presenting their Permanent Voter Cards (PVCs), despite the advanced capabilities of the Bimodal Voter Accreditation System (BVAS).
The clarification comes after proposals emerged during post-2023 election review meetings, where some stakeholders suggested that voters should be allowed to use other forms of identification on election day, citing BVAS’s ability to authenticate voters using facial and fingerprint recognition.
Speaking on Saturday, the Chief Press Secretary to the INEC Chairman, Rotimi Oyekanmi, said the commission was aware of the recommendations but remained bound by existing electoral laws.
“INEC is not mulling the idea of voting without the Permanent Voter Cards,” Oyekanmi said. “The idea emanated from our post-2023 review meetings, where it was suggested that with BVAS, which contains details of registered voters per polling unit, Nigerians should be able to vote with any form of ID. But under the current law, that is not possible.”
He stressed that while BVAS had greatly improved voter accreditation, statutory provisions must still be respected. “The commission is not opposed to the idea, but some aspects of the law — particularly Section 47 of the Electoral Act 2022 — make it mandatory for a voter to present a PVC at the polling unit. Without amending this law, the system cannot change,” he added.
Currently, Section 47 stipulates that no person shall be allowed to vote unless they present their PVC and are verified by INEC’s technological devices.
