2027: INEC introduces downloadable Permanent Voter Cards

The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has said it intends to launch a downloadable Permanent Voter Card (PVC) for voters whose voter cards have been lost or mutilated.

This was revealed by the Chairman of INEC, Prof. Joash Amupitan, on Wednesday when he received the Director-General of the National Orientation Agency (NOA), Mallam Lanre Issa-Onilu, during a courtesy call at the commission’s headquarters in Abuja.

The downloadable PVC will form part of INEC’s efforts to modernize the country’s election process in preparation for the 2027 general elections, Amupitan noted.

The PVC, which will be downloadable, will be accessible only to voters who previously acquired their PVCs, and the cards got lost, damaged, or were not readable anymore.

“It is not every PVC that is downloadable. You must have gotten your PVC before, and it must be that the PVC is lost or defaced, or if you cannot read your numbers there,” he said.

He explained that affected voters would be required to formally report the loss or damage at least 90 days before an election for the replacement process to begin.

Amupitan disclosed that the technology would first be tested during the Osun State governorship election scheduled for August.

He also revealed that INEC is finalising another innovation that will allow eligible Nigerians to complete voter registration entirely online without visiting INEC offices for 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.

According to him, the reforms are aimed at making voter registration easier and ensuring that no eligible citizen is denied the opportunity to participate in elections.

Amupitan also announced plans for a stronger partnership with the National Orientation Agency to combat voter apathy, misinformation and vote-buying ahead of the 2027 polls.

He said technology alone cannot guarantee credible elections without active participation from citizens.

“We can purchase the finest BVAS machines, optimise IReV to international standards and map out logistics. But all of these mean nothing if citizens remain detached, cynical, or uneducated about the power of their votes,” he said.

Describing voter apathy as a major threat to Nigeria’s democracy, he said INEC and NOA must embark on sustained grassroots voter education.

“We must look the rural farmer, the marketplace woman and the disillusioned urban youth in the eye and explain, in the language they understand, that because of our technology, the era of snatching ballot boxes is gone,” he added.

The INEC chairman noted that recent elections in the Federal Capital Territory and Ekiti State recorded improvements in early polling unit opening, BVAS accreditation and result uploads through the INEC Result Viewing Portal (IReV).

However, he acknowledged that voter turnout remained low and many voters were still confused about polling unit transfers and registration procedures.

He urged immediate collaboration between INEC and NOA ahead of the January 16, 2027 presidential election and the February 6, 2027 governorship elections, proposing joint campaigns against vote-buying, electoral violence and fake news.

“Our doors are wide open. We are ready to pool resources, share data, and give your teams all the institutional support required,” Amupitan said.

Speaking earlier, NOA Director-General Lanre Issa-Onilu commended INEC for improvements in election management and expressed support for deeper collaboration on voter education.

He said NOA would intensify nationwide campaigns against vote-buying, electoral violence and voter apathy while promoting greater public confidence in Nigeria’s democratic process ahead of the 2027 general elections