Although it has stated that it is willing to permit eligible Nigerians without Permanent Voter Cards to cast ballots in the general elections of 2027, the Independent National Electoral Commission maintains that any such action needs to be supported by legal changes.
In an interview with The PUNCH on Wednesday, Rotimi Oyekanmi, the INEC Chairman’s chief press secretary, stated that the commission was dedicated to increasing voter access via technology, but emphasized that any change from the existing PVC-only system would require changes to the law.
During a quarterly consultative meeting with resident electoral commissioners in Abuja in December 2024, INEC Chairman Prof. Mahmood Yakubu made the following statements, which prompted the initiative.
Yakubu emphasized the expanding significance of technology in expediting the electoral process, including the Bimodal Voter Accreditation System.
In the future, he said, voters may be able to utilize slips created by INEC or downloaded from its official website for authentication, even though PVCs will still be valid for individuals who own them.
This change, he claimed, would reduce expenses, alleviate administrative strains, and stop voter card fraud.Yakubu clarified, “The commission also believes that the use of the Permanent Voters’ Cards as the sole means of identification for voter accreditation on Election Day should be reviewed with the introduction of the Bimodal Voter Accreditation System.” “Those who currently have the PVCs can still use them to vote, but going forward, computer-generated slips issued to the voter or even downloaded from the Commission’s website will suffice for voter accreditation.” “This will not only save cost, but it will also eliminate the issues surrounding the collection of PVCs and the sinister practice of purchasing the cards from voters in order to disenfranchise them,” Yakubu explained.
Yakubu clarified, “The commission also believes that the use of the Permanent Voters’ Cards as the sole means of identification for voter accreditation on Election Day should be reviewed with the introduction of the Bimodal Voter Accreditation System.” “Those who currently have the PVCs can still use them to vote, but going forward, computer-generated slips issued to the voter or even downloaded from the Commission’s website will suffice for voter accreditation.” “This will not only save cost, but it will also eliminate the issues surrounding the collection of PVCs and the devious practice of purchasing the cards from voters in order to disenfranchise them,” Yakubu explained.
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