The Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, has fixed October 9, 2026, for the commencement of nationwide collection of newly issued Permanent Voter Cards, PVCs, ahead of the 2027 general elections.
INEC Chairman, Professor Joash Amupitan, announced the date in Kaduna during the Commission’s North-West Zonal Interactive Meeting with staff and readiness assessment for the elections.
Professor Amupitan said three phases of the Continuous Voter Registration exercise produced 10,772,421 new registrations, subject to verification through the Automated Biometric Identification System.
He called for the removal of bottlenecks in PVC distribution, particularly at the local government level, to prevent eligible voters from being disenfranchised by logistical challenges.
The INEC Chairman also said the Commission was refining its technology for voter verification and result transmission, while strengthening result management processes, including the recently introduced eEC8A.
He said INEC was adopting a “zero-failure” logistics approach covering early deployment of electoral materials, movement coordination, security arrangements and training of ad hoc personnel.
Professor Amupitan warned electoral officials against partisan conduct, administrative negligence and ethical breaches, stressing that neutrality and professionalism would be critical to maintaining public confidence in the electoral process.
The Commission said the Presidential and National Assembly elections are scheduled for January 16, 2027, while the Governorship and State Houses of Assembly elections will hold on February 6, 2027.