INEC SET TO INTRODUCE DOWNLOADABLE PVCs AND FULL ONLINE VOTER REGISTRATION.

The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) is set to introduce downloadable Permanent Voter Cards (PVCs) for voters whose original cards have been lost or defaced.

INEC Chairman, Professor JOASH AMUPITAN, disclosed this while receiving the Director-General of the National Orientation Agency (NOA), LANRE ISSA-ONILU, at the commission’s headquarters in Abuja, where he explained that the initiative forms part of ongoing efforts to modernise Nigeria’s electoral process ahead of the 2027 general elections.

Disclosing that access to the downloadable PVC will not be automatic and will not apply to first-time registrants, the INEC chairman stated that affected voters must formally report the loss or damage at least 90 days before an election to enable the commission to process the replacement.

He further revealed that INEC is putting the finishing touches on a technology that will enable eligible Nigerians to complete their voter registration entirely online without the need to visit INEC offices for physical biometric capture.

In addition, AMUPITAN said the innovations are designed to eliminate the feeling of disenfranchisement among citizens and ensure that everyone willing to register can do so without difficulty.