INEC announces PVC collection date for 2027 election

The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has announced that nationwide collection of newly issued Permanent Voter Cards (PVCs) will begin on October 9, 2026, ahead of the 2027 general election, Tribune Online reports.

INEC Chairman Prof. Joash Amupitan announced the date on Monday during the commission’s North-West Zonal Interactive Meeting with staff in Kaduna, disclosing that the cards followed three phases of Continuous Voter Registration, which recorded 10,772,421 new registrants subject to verification through the Automated Biometric Identification System.

“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, directing officials to resolve operational challenges that could hinder PVC collection, especially in rural areas.

Supervising National Commissioner for Kaduna, Mallam Kudu Haruna, said Amupitan’s earlier visit to the Emir of Zazzau was aimed at securing traditional rulers’ support for voter mobilisation, with the Emir urged to encourage residents to collect their cards once available.

With the national voter register nearing 100 million, INEC’s official portal now allows registered voters to check their PVC status and find their designated collection centres ahead of the October rollout.