The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) is set to introduce downloadable Permanent Voter Cards (PVCs) for voters who have misplaced or defaced their original cards, as part of efforts to modernise Nigeria's electoral processes ahead of the 2027 general elections.
INEC chairman announces new PVC technology
INEC Chairman Joash Amupitan disclosed this when he received the Director-General of the National Orientation Agency (NOA), Lanre Issa-Onilu, who paid a courtesy visit to the commission’s headquarters in Abuja on Wednesday. Amupitan explained that the downloadable PVC option will not be automatic or open to first-time registrants who have never collected a physical card.
“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 stated. He further noted that affected voters must formally lodge a complaint at least 90 days before an election to enable the commission to process the replacement.
Pilot test in Osun governorship election
Amupitan said the commission would pilot the downloadable PVC technology during the off-cycle Osun governorship election scheduled for August 2025. This trial run is expected to test the system's effectiveness before wider implementation.
He also disclosed that INEC is finalising work on a technology that would allow eligible citizens to complete their voter registration entirely online 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.
Goal to reduce disenfranchisement
Amupitan said that those advancements are aimed at eliminating the feeling of disenfranchisement among citizens and ensuring that everyone who desires to register can do so seamlessly. The move is part of broader electoral reforms to leverage technology for more accessible and efficient voting processes in Nigeria.
