Sokoto State Government Declares Public Holiday for Civil Servants
The Sokoto State Government has declared Friday, July 24, 2026, a public holiday for civil servants, freeing workers from their duties to register as voters under the Independent National Electoral Commission's Continuous Voter Registration exercise. Abubakar Bawa, the Director-General of Media and Publicity at Government House, Sokoto, confirmed the decision in a statement released on Thursday on behalf of Governor Ahmed Aliyu.
Governor Aliyu Encourages Civic Participation
The governor framed the move as a practical step to ensure that state workers who have not yet obtained their Permanent Voter Cards have enough time to do so before the 2027 general elections. Aliyu said: "We have declared Friday, July 24, 2026, a work-free day to enable civil servants of voting age who have not yet registered to participate in the ongoing voter registration exercise and obtain their Permanent Voter Cards."
Emphasis on Legal Voting Requirement
The governor emphasised that possession of a PVC is the only legally recognised means through which a Nigerian citizen can cast a ballot, and urged all qualifying civil servants yet to register to take full advantage of the day set aside for them. Aliyu added that his administration is committed to removing obstacles that might prevent workers from fulfilling their democratic responsibilities, describing civic participation as a priority of his government.
Appeal to All Sokoto Residents
Beyond the civil service, the governor also appealed to other Sokoto residents who have recently reached voting age or have not yet completed their registration to make use of the time available. Residents have until Sunday, July 26, 2026, to register, as the extended voter registration window closes that day. Aliyu urged everyone who is yet to register to do so before the deadline.
INEC Introduces New Variant of PVC
This development comes days after INEC announced the introduction of a new variant of the downloadable PVC. Joash Amupitan, the chairman of the electoral body, announced the development in a trending video. According to the INEC chairman, the downloadable PVC would be available for Nigerians who have initially registered with the commission and got their PVC, but might have been damaged or lost. This development is coming ahead of the 2027 general elections, where many political parties and concerned citizens are calling on Nigerians to ensure they get their PVC and exercise their civic responsibility.
Senate Rejects Compulsory Electronic Voting
Legit.ng earlier reported that the Nigerian Senate has retained the provision in Clause 60 of the 2022 Electoral Act allowing election results to be transmitted in a manner prescribed by the Independent National Electoral Commission. The Senate, however, rejected the compulsory real-time electronic transmission of election results from polling units to the IReV portal. Meanwhile, the Senate, in its clause-by-clause consideration of the Bill, retains the permanent voter card as the sole means of voter accreditation, as it rejects electronic or alternative identification proposed in Clause 47.
