The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has expressed willingness to allow eligible Nigerians without Permanent Voter Cards (PVCs) to vote in the 2027 general elections but insists that such a move must be backed by legislative amendments.
Rotimi Oyekanmi, Chief Press Secretary to the INEC Chairman, told reporters on Wednesday that the commission was dedicated to increasing voter access through technology but that legal requirements must first be revised to accommodate any change away from the existing PVC-only system.
The idea follows remarks made by INEC Chairman Prof. Mahmood Yakubu in December 2024 during a quarterly consultative meeting with Resident Electoral Commissioners in Abuja.
Yakubu emphasised the growing importance of technology, specifically the Bimodal Voter Accreditation System, in expediting the electoral process.
He stated that, while PVCs will remain valid for those who already have them, future elections may allow voters to use slips created by INEC or downloaded from its official website for accreditation.
This change, he claimed, would save expenses, relieve administrative problems, and prevent voter card 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, 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.
However, giving an update on Wednesday, Oyekanmi stressed that any change in the voting procedure must be supported by corresponding legal amendments.
“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,” he said.
