The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has expressed its willingness to allow eligible Nigerians without Permanent Voter Cards (PVCs) to vote in the upcoming 2027 general elections.
However, the commission emphasised that such a move would require legislative amendments to the current legal framework.
Speaking to Punch on Wednesday, the Chief Press Secretary to the INEC Chairman, Rotimi Oyekanmi, confirmed the commission’s commitment to expanding voter access through the use of technology.
However, he stressed that any shift from the current PVC-only system would need to be supported by appropriate legislative changes.
“It is not our stand-alone that is important. Equally critical is what the subsisting 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,” Oyekanmi said.
The push for a more inclusive voter accreditation process follows remarks made by INEC Chairman, Mahmood Yakubu, during a quarterly consultative meeting with Resident Electoral Commissioners in December 2024.
Yakubu highlighted the increasing role of technology, specifically the Bimodal Voter Accreditation System (BVAS), in enhancing the electoral process.
Naija News reports that he pointed out that while PVCs will remain valid for voters who possess them, future elections could allow voters to use slips generated by INEC or downloaded from its official website for accreditation.
This, he argued, would reduce costs, ease logistical challenges, and address the problem of PVC misuse.
“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, but it will also eliminate the issues around the collection of PVCs and the diabolical practice of buying up the cards from voters in order to disenfranchise them,” Yakubu explained.
