The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has announced its intention to permit eligible Nigerians to vote in the 2027 general elections without necessarily possessing Permanent Voter Cards (PVCs), provided that relevant legal amendments are made.
The Chief Press Secretary to the INEC Chairman, Rotimi Oyekanmi, disclosed this in an interview with The PUNCH on Wednesday. He stated that while the commission is open to alternatives to the current PVC-only system, any such change must be anchored in law.
The proposal follows comments made by INEC Chairman, Prof. Mahmood Yakubu, during a quarterly consultative meeting with Resident Electoral Commissioners in December 2024.
Yakubu underscored the role of technology in electoral reforms, highlighting the Bimodal Voter Accreditation System (BVAS) as a key tool for voter verification.
Yakubu revealed that computer-generated slips issued by INEC or downloaded from its official website may serve as valid means of accreditation in future elections, alongside PVCs.
According to him, the proposed change would reduce costs, ease logistical challenges, and help prevent the manipulation of PVCs to disenfranchise voters.
Oyekanmi stated, “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.
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“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 in order to disenfranchise them,” Yakubu explained.
“It is not our stand alone that is important. Equally critical is what the subsisting law says. While the commission is favourable 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 added.
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