2027 Election: INEC Moves to Legalise Voting Without PVCs

The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has expressed its intent to allow eligible Nigerian voters to participate in the 2027 general elections without the need for a Permanent Voter Card (PVC).

However, INEC insists that this change can only take effect once the necessary legal amendments are made to accommodate the shift away from the current PVC-only system. INEC has plans to introduce a new system that could be used for voting in the 2027 elections.

Rotimi Oyekanmi, the Chief Press Secretary to INEC Chairman, Prof. Mahmood Yakubu, while speaking on Wednesday, April 23, in Abuja, noted that while the commission is eager to embrace technological advances in the electoral process, it is equally important that legislative provisions are updated to facilitate this change. “It is not our stand alone that is important. Equally critical is what the subsisting law says. While the commission is favourable to the recommendation by stakeholders, the law needs to be amended to reflect it,” Oyekanmi stated.

The move to allow voting without PVCs follows comments made by INEC Chairman, Prof. Yakubu, in December 2024, during a quarterly consultative meeting with Resident Electoral Commissioners. Yakubu discussed the increasing role of technology, particularly the Bimodal Voter Accreditation System (BVAS), in streamlining the voting process.

Yakubu confirmed that, while PVCs would still be valid for voters who possess them, INEC was exploring alternatives, including computer-generated slips or those downloaded from the commission’s website, for voter accreditation in future elections. “The commission believes that with the introduction of the Bimodal Voter Accreditation System, the use of the PVCs as the sole means of identification for voter accreditation on Election Day should be reviewed,” Yakubu said.