The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has announced the commencement of nationwide collection of newly issued Permanent Voter Cards (PVCs) ahead of the 2027 general election, with collection scheduled to begin on October 9, 2026.
INEC Chairman, Professor Joash Amupitan, announced the date on Monday during the commission’s North-West Zonal Interactive Meeting with staff in Kaduna.
He said the cards were produced following three phases of the Continuous Voter Registration exercise, which recorded 10,772,421 new registrants.
According to Amupitan, the new registrations are subject to verification through the Automated Biometric Identification System.
The INEC chairman directed officials to address operational challenges that could make it difficult for eligible voters to collect their PVCs, especially in rural areas.
“The true success of any election is not decided solely in the meeting rooms of our headquarters in Abuja. It is decided in the field,” Amupitan said.
He said the commission’s readiness tour across the six geopolitical zones was aimed at identifying challenges affecting its field operations and addressing them before the 2027 elections.
Amupitan also called on electoral officials to remain neutral and professional in the discharge of their duties.
He said the conduct of officials at the Local Government Areas, Registration Area Centres and polling units would play an important role in maintaining public confidence in the electoral process.
Earlier, the Supervising National Commissioner for Kaduna, Mallam Kudu Haruna, said the zonal meetings were created to allow the commission’s leadership to interact directly with field personnel as preparations for the 2027 election continue.
Haruna said Amupitan’s visit to the Emir of Zazzau and Chairman of the Kaduna State Council of Traditional Rulers was also intended to seek the support of traditional institutions for voter mobilisation.
He said the INEC chairman informed the Emir that the newly issued PVCs would be ready for collection from October 9.
Haruna added that Amupitan appealed to traditional rulers to encourage eligible citizens in their communities to collect their PVCs.
INEC has also said the national voter register is nearing 100 million registered voters.
The commission’s official portal allows registered voters to check the status of their PVCs and find their designated collection centres.
