The Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, has fixed October 9, 2026, for the commencement of nationwide collection of newly issued Permanent Voter Cards, PVCs, ahead of the 2027 general elections.
INEC Chairman, Joash Amupitan, announced this in Kaduna during the commission’s North-West Zonal Interactive Meeting with staff.
He said the newly issued PVCs followed three phases of the Continuous Voter Registration, CVR, exercise, which recorded more than 10.7 million new registrations.
According to him, the registrations are subject to verification through the Automated Biometric Identification System, ABIS.
Amupitan directed electoral officials to address operational challenges that could hinder PVC collection, particularly in rural communities.
He also urged officials to remain neutral and professional, stressing that their conduct at local government areas, registration area centres and polling units would be critical to public confidence in the electoral process.
The INEC chairman said a total of 10,772,421 new voters were registered across the three phases of the CVR exercise.
The first phase, conducted from August 25 to December 10, 2025, recorded 2,611,266 registrations.
The third phase, which ran from May 11 to July 26, 2026, recorded 3,867,997 registrations.
Amupitan said the combined figure remains subject to ABIS verification, which is currently being concluded.
The INEC chairman warned that poor administrative performance could fuel misinformation and undermine public confidence in the electoral process.
“Today, a single malicious fake news post or deepfake can travel across millions of screens in seconds.
“But let me be clear: false narratives only gain traction when our administrative execution falters. When a polling unit opens late, when an officer displays nonchalance or perceived bias, or when technical glitches are met with silence, we inadvertently validate the cynics, deepen voter apathy, and fuel disinformation.
“The conduct, competence, and character of our staff in the field are either our strongest defence against fake news or its biggest catalyst.”
He also stressed that neutrality was not optional for electoral officials and security personnel.
Amupitan referenced Section 26 of the Electoral Act 2026, which requires electoral officials and security personnel participating in elections to swear an oath of loyalty and neutrality.
According to him, the oath commits officials to administering elections without favouring any candidate or political party.
He said the guiding question for electoral officials should not be who would benefit from a decision, but what the law requires them to do.
The INEC chairman said preparations for the 2027 elections were gathering momentum, with the statutory timeline fixed and the commission working to address logistical, technical and public-confidence challenges.
“With the Presidential and National Assembly Elections scheduled for Saturday, 16th January 2027, and the Governorship and State Houses of Assembly Elections set for Saturday, 6th February 2027, the statutory timeline is fixed and the clock is ticking.
“If Osun showed Nigerians what we can do, 2027 must prove to the world that excellence is our permanent culture, not an occasional coincidence.
“We must also be entirely honest with ourselves about the complex environment in which we operate. Beyond the logistical and technical hurdles, our greatest battle lies in overcoming a lingering trust deficit, confronting widespread voter apathy, and defeating the rising tide of misinformation and disinformation.”
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Earlier, the Supervising National Commissioner for Kaduna, Mohammed Haruna, said the zonal interactive meetings were designed to enable the commission’s leadership to engage directly with field personnel as preparations for the 2027 elections gather momentum.
The commission also appealed to traditional rulers to encourage eligible citizens to collect their PVCs.
INEC said registered voters can use its official portal to check the status of their PVCs and locate their designated collection centres.
