The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has announced October 9, 2026, as the commencement date for the collection of Permanent Voter Cards (PVCs) across Nigeria ahead of the 2027 general elections.
INEC Chairman, Professor Joash Amupitan, announced the date on Monday in Kaduna during the North-West Zonal Interactive Meeting with staff and a readiness assessment for the 2027 elections.
Amupitan disclosed that the recently concluded voter registration exercise recorded more than 10.7 million new registrations.
He stressed the need to address challenges associated with PVC distribution at the Local Government Area level, warning that bottlenecks could prevent eligible voters from participating in the elections.
The INEC chairman also disclosed that the commission was upgrading and refining its technological systems ahead of the polls.
According to him, the improvements cover voter verification, result transmission and result management systems, including the recently introduced eEC8A.
Amupitan said the commission was also implementing a “Zero-Failure” logistics strategy to improve election preparedness.
He said the approach would cover the early deployment of election materials, transportation and movement of personnel and materials, security coordination and training of ad-hoc election officials.
The announcement comes as INEC intensifies preparations for the 2027 general elections, with the commission expected to continue addressing logistical and technological issues ahead of the polls.
