KEY POINTS

• INEC plans to allow voting without PVC in 2027 elections.

• Legal amendments are needed before the change can happen.

• The shift aims to reduce costs and prevent PVC misuse.

The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has expressed willingness to allow Nigerians without Permanent Voter Cards (PVCs) to vote in 2027.

However, the commission insisted that any such move must first be backed by legislative amendments. INEC’s Chief Press Secretary, Rotimi Oyekanmi, told Punch on Wednesday that the commission is committed to expanding voter access through technology.

Oyekanmi emphasised that the legal provisions must be updated before any shift from the current PVC-only system could be made.

INEC chairman proposes changes to voter accreditation system

This initiative follows remarks made by INEC Chairman, Prof. Mahmood Yakubu, in December 2024 during a quarterly consultative meeting.

Yakubu highlighted the growing role of technology, specifically the Bimodal Voter Accreditation System (BVAS), in streamlining the electoral process. He suggested that future elections could allow voters to use slips generated by INEC or downloaded from its official website.

This shift, he said, would help lower costs, reduce logistical burdens, and combat the misuse of PVCs.

Legal amendments are necessary to implement a new system

Oyekanmi stressed that any changes to the voting procedure would require corresponding legal amendments. “It is not our stand-alone that is important,” Oyekanmi explained. “Equally critical is what the subsisting law says.”

While INEC supports the idea of moving beyond the PVC-only system, he noted that the law needs to be amended to reflect this change.