The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has announced plans to introduce downloadable Permanent Voter Cards (PVCs) for eligible voters who have lost or damaged their original voter cards as part of efforts to modernise Nigeria’s electoral process ahead of the 2027 general elections.
INEC Chairman, Prof. Joash Amupitan, disclosed this on Wednesday while receiving the Director-General of the National Orientation Agency (NOA), Mallam Lanre Issa-Onilu, at the commission’s headquarters in Abuja.
According to Amupitan, the new initiative is designed to make voter services more accessible but will only apply to registered voters who had previously collected their physical PVCs.
“It is not every PVC that is downloadable. You must have gotten your PVC before and it must be that the PVC is lost, defaced or if you cannot read your numbers there,” he said.
He explained that voters seeking to use the downloadable PVC option must first report the loss or damage of their cards at least 90 days before an election to allow the commission enough time to process the request.
The INEC chairman revealed that the commission plans to pilot the downloadable PVC technology during the Osun State governorship election scheduled for August.
Amupitan also disclosed that INEC is in the final stages of developing a fully online voter registration platform that would allow eligible Nigerians to complete the registration process remotely without visiting INEC offices for physical biometric capture.
“We have also been working on the technology that is going to make it possible for the registration of voters online without even having to visit INEC local government or registration areas.
“So hopefully in the next few days, we will be testing it as soon as the commission approves it,” he said.
He noted that the technological innovations are intended to remove barriers to voter registration and ensure that every eligible Nigerian can participate in the electoral process without unnecessary challenges.
Despite the planned digital improvements, Amupitan stressed that technology alone cannot guarantee credible elections if citizens remain disengaged or uninformed about the importance of voting.
According to him, investments in election technology, including the Bimodal Voter Accreditation System (BVAS) and the INEC Result Viewing Portal (IReV), would have limited impact without effective voter education and public participation.
“We can purchase the finest BVAS machines, we can optimise the IReV Portal to international standards, and we can map out the most logistical routes for material deployment. But all of these technological and administrative triumphs mean nothing if the citizens remain detached, uniform, cynical, or completely uneducated about the power of their votes,” he said.
Amupitan also expressed concern over the growing spread of misinformation during elections, describing it as a major threat to public confidence in the electoral process.
He specifically dismissed allegations that INEC withheld more than 400,000 Permanent Voter Cards to favour a political party during the recent Ekiti State off-cycle governorship election, saying the claims were false.
“Even in the last election, you noticed a video that was going around saying that INEC had warehoused over 400,000 PVCs for a particular political party and they were sharing and distributing it.
“But under close and comprehensive scrutiny, it was discovered that what was being shared were party’s membership cards. But somebody decided to sit in the comfort of his room to just come up with that type of mischief that is aimed at eroding people’s vote.
“People that were ready to go and vote were saying we better sit down, our vote will not count. So, that is part of the danger that it poses. Together, INEC and NOA must rewrite this narrative. I don’t know what strategy you are going to put in place, but from the person who gave a little background about you, you are a communication strategist. It is something that we probably need to work on and see how we correct this,” he said.
The INEC chairman called on the National Orientation Agency to strengthen voter education campaigns across the country, noting that the agency’s grassroots presence and understanding of local communities make it a vital partner in promoting credible elections.
He also reminded Nigerians that INEC already provides several digital services, including an application that enables voters to locate their polling units before election day.
“This is where the NOA comes in. While INEC is the umpire that sets up the field and manages the game, the NOA is the custodian of the values that make the players and the spectators respect the rules.
“You speak the languages of our people, you understand their local fears, and you know how to navigate the cultural nuances that shape public opinion. We still need to let the people know there are so many things you can do online in relation to your registration and even guides to voting.
“We have an app that you can use to even locate your polling unit before the day of the election so that you don’t need to begin to roam about looking for your polling units. It is a loud agnostic signal that far more needs to be done in the area of voters’ education,” he added.
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