2027 Election: INEC Announces Date For PVC Collection Nationwide

The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has announced that the collection of Permanent Voter Cards (PVCs) ahead of the 2027 general elections will commence on October 9, 2026.

According to Bush Radio Academy, the announcement followed an assessment visit to Kaduna State by INEC Chairman, Professor Joash Amupitan, and other senior officials as part of the commission’s preparations for the 2027 elections.

Speaking during a North-West zonal interactive meeting with staff in Kaduna, Amupitan urged electoral officials to identify and address operational gaps ahead of the elections. He also stressed the need for neutrality, professionalism and strict adherence to procedures to avoid weaknesses that could affect public confidence in the electoral process.

The INEC chairman said the success of an election depends largely on activities at the grassroots, particularly at Local Government Areas, Registration Area Centres and polling units where officials interact directly with voters.

He encouraged staff in the region to use the readiness assessment to highlight challenges affecting election administration and work with the commission’s headquarters to develop practical solutions before election day.

Amupitan said INEC was building on lessons from previous elections while improving its systems and processes ahead of the 2027 general elections.

He disclosed that three phases of the Continuous Voter Registration exercise had recorded 10,772,421 new registrations, which are subject to biometric verification.

The chairman also called for the removal of bottlenecks affecting PVC distribution, particularly at the Local Government Area level, to ensure eligible voters are able to collect their cards without unnecessary difficulties.

According to the commission, INEC is also refining its technological systems, including voter verification, result transmission and result management processes. It is further implementing what it described as a “Zero-Failure” logistics approach covering the early deployment of electoral materials, transportation, security coordination and the training of ad-hoc personnel.

INEC’s official voter portal currently provides services for checking PVC status and collection locations, while the commission’s published election timetable lists the presidential and National Assembly elections for January 16, 2027, followed by governorship and State House of Assembly elections in participating states on February 6, 2027.